By Daniel Schulz, residir GmbH · Last updated: 13 October 2026
The Munich rent index (Mietspiegel München) is the city’s official overview of the ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete (local reference rent). The current 2025 Munich rent index gives an average Nettokaltmiete (basic rent excluding service charges and heating) of €15.38 per square metre. The city’s free online calculator tells you the figure for a specific flat, and it is the basis for rent increases and the Mietpreisbremse (rent cap).
Guests moving to Munich for work almost always ask us in Lehel about rents first. Many have a figure from a property portal in mind and are surprised that the rent index is much lower. This guide explains where the difference comes from and how to use the rent index, as of October 2026. It does not replace legal advice; in the event of a dispute, a Mieterverein (tenants’ association) or a lawyer can help.
In this article:
- What is the Munich rent index?
- Current status: the 2025 and 2026 rent index
- Average rent and rental prices in Munich
- Rent index calculator and location map
- The rent cap in Munich
- Rent increases up to the reference rent
- Rents by neighbourhood
- Furnished and fixed-term
- New to Munich: what the rent index tells you
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
| Topic | Quick answer |
|---|---|
| Current rent index | Munich rent index 2025, recognised by the city council as a qualified rent index in March 2025 |
| Average basic rent (Nettokaltmiete) | €15.38/m² (2023 rent index: €14.58/m², up 5.5%) |
| Data basis | Rents from new contracts and rent changes between February 2018 and January 2024, random sample from the residents’ register |
| Calculation | The city’s online calculator with location map, free of charge |
| Rent cap (Mietpreisbremse) | For new lettings, no more than 10% above the local reference rent, with exceptions |
| Kappungsgrenze (increase cap) | Rent increases of no more than 15% in three years |
| Next edition | 2027 rent index, survey in early 2026 |
What is the Munich rent index? A qualified rent index
A rent index shows what rent is customary for comparable flats in a city. Lawyers call this the ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete, or local reference rent (Section 558(2) BGB). It is derived from the rents newly agreed or changed over the last six years for flats of a similar type, size, fittings, condition and location.
The Munich rent index is a qualifizierter Mietspiegel (qualified rent index) under Section 558d BGB. This means it was compiled according to recognised scientific principles and approved by the city council. In court, its figures are then presumed to reflect the local reference rent correctly. Anyone who wants to depart from them needs good reasons.
To collect the data, the city has randomly selected households from the residents’ register surveyed, tenants and landlords alike. The Statistical Office analyses the answers and calculates how strongly location, size, year of construction and fittings affect the price per square metre. Excluded are, among others, social housing and other flats whose rent is set by public funding, as well as employer-provided and tied accommodation.
Munich rent index 2025 and 2026: the current status
The current Munich rent index is the 2025 edition. The social affairs committee discussed it on 20 March 2025, and the full city council confirmed it on 26 March 2025. It is not an update of the previous edition but was compiled from scratch. It is based on rents from contracts and rent changes between February 2018 and January 2024.
There is no separate Munich rent index for 2026. Following a council resolution from 2011, the city produces a new rent index every two years, so the current Munich rent index remains valid until its successor is published. For the 2027 Munich rent index, the city had around 30,000 households surveyed in early 2026, with January 2026 as the reference month.
The official Munich rent index is available as a free brochure with a location map from the Stadtinformation (city information office) in the Rathaus (town hall) on Marienplatz and from the Amt für Wohnen und Migration (Office for Housing and Migration) at Franziskanerstraße 8. Online, it is available at mietspiegel-muenchen.de, where you will also find the 2023 rent index in the archive. If you are looking for the Munich rent index as a PDF to print, it is best to check there which version is currently available.
Average rent in Munich: rental prices and trends
According to the 2025 rent index, the average rent in Munich, i.e. the average rent per square metre, is €15.38 excluding service charges and heating. A comparison with the previous edition shows how rents in Munich have developed: the 2023 rent index stood at €14.58, an increase of 5.5 per cent in two years. For a 60-square-metre flat, the average works out at around €923 basic rent a month, excluding service charges and heating.
To put this in context: the figure is an average across many tenancies from the last six years, including older contracts whose rent has since been adjusted. Rents for new lettings in Munich are therefore usually considerably higher. If you put listings from property portals directly next to the average rent in Munich, you are comparing apples with oranges.
Rents per square metre in Munich vary widely. Small flats cost more per square metre than large ones, new builds more than flats from the 1960s, and good locations more than basic ones. So if you ask how high rents in Munich are, the honest answer is: it depends on the flat, and that is exactly what the calculator is for.
Monthly prices for furnished apartments cannot be compared with the rent index. If, for example, you book serviced apartments in Munich for a few months, you pay an all-inclusive price covering furniture, electricity, Wi-Fi and linen. Dividing that by the floor area and comparing it with the basic rent is misleading.
Munich rent index calculator: how to work out the reference rent
The city’s online calculator is free and does not require registration. You will find it at mietspiegel-muenchen.de; it applies to privately financed flats. For the calculation, you need a few details from your tenancy agreement and about the flat:
- The address of the flat, which determines the location category
- The floor area in square metres
- The year the building was constructed and any modernisation work
- Fittings, such as bathroom, kitchen, flooring, balcony and heating
- The agreed basic rent, for comparison
The calculator determines the location using the Munich rent index map, the Wohnlagenkarte (residential location map). Every address is assigned to a location category on it. So there is no separate rent index for Schwabing or any other district; location is factored in street by street via the map.
At the end, the calculator shows a figure per square metre and a range. Within this range, a rent still counts as customary for the area; particular features of the flat can justify placing it at the upper or lower end. If you want to calculate the Munich rent index for 2026, use the calculator for the 2025 rent index, as this is the one currently in force.
The Munich rent index does not apply to the surrounding municipalities. There is no joint rent index for the district of Munich (Landkreis München), though some municipalities have their own. If your flat is outside the city boundary, ask the municipality concerned.
Arrive first, then compare rents
From autumn 2027, we will be letting 54 furnished apartments with their own kitchen, washing machines and fast Wi-Fi at Ländstraße 6 in Lehel, at a fixed monthly price. If you are looking for temporary housing in Munich while you check offers against the rent index, you can already send us an enquiry.
The Mietpreisbremse in Munich: the limit for new lettings
The Mietpreisbremse (rent cap) under Sections 556d et seq. BGB applies in Munich. When a flat is re-let, the initial rent may be no more than 10 per cent above the local reference rent. The legal basis is the Bavarian Mieterschutzverordnung (tenant protection regulation), which has applied in a new version to 285 municipalities, including Munich, since 1 January 2026. The underlying federal legislation has been extended until the end of 2029.
You do not need a separate rent cap calculator for Munich. Work out the reference rent with the rent index calculator and add 10 per cent. If your agreed basic rent per square metre is well above that, it is worth taking a closer look.
There are important exceptions. The rent cap does not apply to flats first used and let after 1 October 2014, nor to the first letting after comprehensive modernisation. If the previous tenant was already paying a higher rent, the landlord may generally continue to charge it. The landlord must tell you before the contract is signed whether an exception applies.
Accommodation let only for temporary use is also exempt (Section 549(2) BGB). Beherbergung (the provision of accommodation as offered by hotels and aparthotels) is not a tenancy in the traditional sense. We explain the difference in our guide What is an aparthotel?.
If you think you are paying too much, you must notify the landlord of the breach in text form (e.g. letter or email). You can then, in principle, reclaim any rent overpaid. A tenants’ association will usually check such cases at low cost and is familiar with current case law.
Rent increases in Munich: up to the local reference rent
For existing tenancies, the rent index matters above all when it comes to rent increases. Under Section 558 BGB, the landlord may ask you to agree to an increase up to the local reference rent in Munich. The rent must have remained unchanged for 15 months, and the request for an increase may be made no earlier than one year after the last increase.
The Kappungsgrenze (cap on increases) also applies. Nationwide, rent may rise by no more than 20 per cent in three years in this way; in Munich, because of the tenant protection regulation, by only 15 per cent. Because a qualified rent index exists, the landlord must state its figures in the letter, even if the increase is justified on other grounds.
You have until the end of the second calendar month after receiving the request to agree. Use this time to check with the calculator whether the rent requested is within the range. If the customary rent in Munich for your flat is lower than the amount requested, you do not have to agree to the excessive part. Separate rules apply to Staffelmiete (graduated rent) and Indexmiete (index-linked rent); for these, the rent index plays no role in increases.
Rents in Munich by neighbourhood: a rough overview
If you are looking for rents in individual Munich neighbourhoods, you will not find a separate table per district from the city. In the rent index, location is captured in the location map, which often differentiates street by street within a district. A quiet side street may be classified differently from the main road two blocks away.
As a rough guide, the Altstadt (old town), Lehel, Bogenhausen, Schwabing and Maxvorstadt are among the most expensive locations, while the outer districts are usually cheaper. How the neighbourhoods differ in everyday life is described in our guide to Munich neighbourhoods. For a specific flat, however, only the figure from the calculator counts, not the reputation of the area.
Lehel, where our building is located, is a good example. Vacant flats are rare, and anyone renting here for the first time usually pays considerably more than the Munich average. In return, the old town and the Isar are within walking distance.
Furnished and fixed-term: where the rent index does not apply
The rent index reflects the basic rent for an unfurnished flat. If you want to rent one of the furnished apartments in Munich, you also pay a Möblierungszuschlag (furniture surcharge). The law does not set its amount, but it must be reasonable and in practice is usually based on the value of the furniture.
The rent cap generally applies to furnished flats too. For the check, the reference rent from the rent index plus a reasonable surcharge is used. There is no separate rent index for furnished flats in Munich.
Things are different for accommodation let for temporary use, for example for a project assignment or the weeks before you move into your own flat. Here, neither the rent cap nor the rules on rent increases apply. A fixed-term lease in Germany for an ordinary flat is something else: it is only permitted with a statutory reason under Section 575 BGB, and the rent index applies to it as normal.
For tradespeople and project teams, workers’ accommodation in Munich is usually charged per night or per week. These prices have nothing to do with the rent index and are more comparable with hotel rates.
New to Munich: what the rent index tells you
If you are new to the city, the rent index lets you assess an offer before you sign. If the rent is well above the reference rent plus 10 per cent and no exception applies, ask questions. How the search itself works, from your application folder to the viewing, is explained in our guide on how to rent an apartment in Munich.
Base your budget on advertised rents, not on the average from the rent index. On top of the basic rent come service charges, heating and often a deposit of up to three months’ rent. If you budget with the average of €15.38, your plan for a new letting will usually be too tight.
That is why many newcomers to Munich stay somewhere temporary for their first few weeks and search from there. For a few nights or weeks, an aparthotel in Munich with a kitchen is one solution; for several months, a furnished flat with monthly rent is more suitable. That way you can see the neighbourhoods for yourself before committing for years.
Conclusion: use the rent index as a yardstick
The Munich rent index figure of €15.38 per square metre is an average, not an asking price; for your flat, what counts is the figure from the city’s calculator, which is the benchmark for the rent cap and rent increases. If you want to settle in first after your move, our holiday apartments in Munich in Lehel will be available from autumn 2027 as a base for your search.
Frequently asked questions about the Munich rent index
What does the Munich rent index say rents are?
The 2025 Munich rent index gives an average basic rent (excluding service charges and heating) of €15.38 per square metre. That is 5.5 per cent more than in the 2023 rent index, which stood at €14.58. For an individual flat, the local reference rent can be considerably higher or lower depending on location, size, year of construction and fittings.
Is there a Munich rent index for 2026?
No. The 2025 Munich rent index remains valid until the next one is published. The city produces a new rent index every two years; the survey for the next edition took place in early 2026.
How do I calculate the local reference rent in Munich?
The easiest way is with the city’s online calculator at mietspiegel-muenchen.de. You enter the address, floor area, year of construction and fittings, and the location category is taken from the location map. The result is a figure per square metre with a range.
Does the rent cap (Mietpreisbremse) apply in Munich?
Yes. Munich is one of the municipalities covered by the Bavarian tenant protection regulation, which has applied in a new version since 1 January 2026. When a flat is re-let, the rent may then be no more than 10 per cent above the local reference rent, with exceptions for new builds and comprehensively modernised flats, for example.
How much can rent rise in Munich?
Up to the local reference rent, but in Munich by no more than 15 per cent within three years (the Kappungsgrenze, or increase cap). The rent must have remained unchanged for 15 months beforehand, and the landlord needs your consent.
Does the rent index also apply to furnished flats?
The rent index reflects the basic rent for the flat without furniture. For a furnished flat, the landlord may charge a reasonable furniture surcharge. The rent cap generally applies here too; exempt, among others, is accommodation let only for temporary use.
Where can I get the Munich rent index brochure?
The brochure with the location map is available free of charge from the Stadtinformation (city information office) in the town hall and from the Amt für Wohnen und Migration (Office for Housing and Migration) at Franziskanerstraße 8. Online, you can find the rent index and the calculator at mietspiegel-muenchen.de.
Daniel Schulz · Managing Director of residir GmbH
He has eight years of experience letting and managing serviced apartments and has looked after more than 80,000 guest stays. More about Daniel Schulz