Where to live in Cologne: The best Cologne areas for internationals

Looking to live by the river? Or maybe in the art scene? Check out the Cologne neighbourhood for you in our ultimate guide

Marle

7 minute read

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Updated on 6 Dec 2024

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Living

Knowing which Cologne area will suit you best is crucial before you make the move to one of Germany’s largest cities. Finding rental homes in Cologne is one of the first things you’ll do before moving there, so let’s take a look at 9 Cologne neighborhoods to help you find your perfect place to live. For each neighborhood, we’ll show you how expensive it is to live there, the public transportation in the area, and who these neighborhoods are suited to.

Also called the Ring of Cologne, Innenstadt is the vibrant city center and the heart of the city. This area is filled with shopping, dining, entertainment, and nightlife options. It’s also a thriving tourist spot with plenty of attractions and is home to the Kölner Dom cathedral.

Innenstadt is also home to the Belgian Quarter, where you’ll find plenty of shops and market stalls selling all manner of goods, from furniture to secondhand books. The Belgian Quarter is considered by many to be the most liveable area in Cologne.

Cologne’s city center area is best suited to young professionals and culture enthusiasts.

Is Innenstadt expensive to live in?

As you’d expect, the cost of living in the center of Cologne isn’t cheap compared to other neighborhoods. Renting a studio in Innenstadt costs about €1,100/month, while renting an apartment will cost about €1,400/month. A private room will cost about €900/month, but they’re hard to come by until you actually move to Cologne.

Eating out and other leisure activities are also a bit pricier in the center, as it’s a popular tourist destination. But if you want to be at the center of the action and live amongst beautiful architecture, Innenstadt is a great place to live.

Public transportation in Innenstadt

Living in Innenstadt will give you excellent public transportation options. So much so that you’ll quickly realize driving in the narrow, confusing streets of the center isn’t nearly as appealing.

The KVB (Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe) underground and suburban trains run roughly every 10 minutes to help you get around Cologne in no time.

Nippes is a vibrant, up-and-coming area in Cologne known for its mix of traditional charm and modern flair. With leafy streets, quirky cafés, and a variety of local shops, it offers a relaxed, community-focused atmosphere.

Nippes is a residential neighborhood with plenty of gardens, housing estates and amenities. You’ll find plenty of families and older people living in this Cologne area.

Is Nippes an expensive place to live in Cologne?

Nippes is a little further from the center of Cologne, so the cost of living here is a little lower. To rent a room in Nippes will cost about €880/month while renting a studio costs about €1,100/month. Renting an apartment is a more popular option for those moving to Nippes; the average rent for an apartment here is €1,350/month. You’ll find more affordable housing the further north you head within Nippes.

Public transportation in Nippes

Nippes is serviced by tram and U-Bahn stations that easily connect to the Ring or Cologne’s university areas. You can easily take an S-Bahn, KVB line, or bus to get to other parts of Cologne from Nippes.

Ehrenfeld is an area in Cologne that’s full of colour with plenty of vibrant street art and quaint clubs and bars. Ehrenfeld has a very artistic, cultural and alternative vibe, making it a haven for creatives. It’s located northwest of the Ring and it’s one of Colognes most popular residential areas to live in. Still, there’s plenty of shopping, dining and fun places to explore.

Ehrenfeld is best suited to young creatives, families and those wanting to live in a very multicultural neighborhood. It’s also a pretty popular spot for students to live.

Is Ehrenfeld an expensive place to live in Cologne?

Depending on where you live, Ehrenfeld can be a pretty affordable area to live in Cologne. Renting a private room in Ehrenfeld costs about €800/month. Meanwhile, a studio here will cost about €1,100/month, and an apartment costs €1,450/month. The areas near the nightclubs tend to be a bit pricier, but further north you can find cheaper options.

Public transportation in Ehrenfeld

Ehrenfeld is connected to the public transport system by its own suburban railway and by the KVB lines 4 and 5.

Lindenthal is a very popular area to live in Cologne for many reasons. In fact, if you ask a local what the best neighborhood in Cologne is, many will name Lindenthal. Home to the vibrant nightlife quarter— Kwartier Latäng, this neighborhood offers more than just an exciting nightlife scene. It’s full of picturesque cafés and bookshops that surround the Sorbonne University. It’s also big amongst football fans as it’s home to RheinEnergieStadion, the home stadium of FC Köln.

Lindenthal is best suited to students and young professionals. In the western part of Lindenthal you’ll find areas with plenty of families too, like in Junkersdorf.

Is Lindenthal an expensive place to live in Cologne?

Lindenthal is certainly one of the cheaper neighborhoods in Cologne, with private rooms costing about €750/month, studios €1,050/month and apartments €1,300/month. However the rental prices are a bit higher in the Junkersdorf and Braunsfeld areas of this neighborhood.

Public transportation in Lindenthal

The Ring is within walking distance of Lindenthal, so you can easily access the amenities of the center. But if you live a little further to the west of this area you may want to utilise public transportation. Thankfully, Müngersdorf and Lövenich have their own train station, and a number of KVB lines connect the other districts to the city center.

Kalk has evolved a lot in recent years, coming up as a working-class neighborhood with plenty of different cultures, both local and international coming together. Kalk is an area in Cologne with an excellent sense of community. There’s plenty of secondhand shopping, international cultures and cuisines and vegan foodie spots that make life here very unique.

Kalk is a popular place to live for students and internationals wanting to live in a diverse community, with plenty of families too.

Is Kalk an expensive place to live in Cologne?

Kalk is pretty average in terms of cost of living. Despite being on the other side of the Rhine River, the cost of renting here is about the same as the more popular Western neighborhoods. Renting a room in Kalk costs about €800/per month, while a studio costs about €1,150. The cost of renting an apartment in Kalk is about €1,600/month.

Public transportation in Kalk

Even though it’s located on the other side of the Rhine, it’s well connected to the rest of the city. There’re plenty of S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and bus connections in Kalk that can help you get around the city.

Porz is an area in Cologne that has quite a village-like feel. Its river-side location is quite scenic, offering beautiful waterfront views. There’re plenty of walking trails, and modern amenities. It’s got a peaceful vibe but also has plenty of cafes, shops and restaurants. There’s a very pleasant community vibe here, with lots of events focused on bringing everyone together.

Porz is popular among locals, so there’re fewer internationals living here. It’s a good spot for families to live in Cologne.

Is Porz an expensive place to live in Cologne?

The cost of living in Porz varies a lot depending on the area you settle in. As this is a more residential area, you won’t find a lot of studios or rooms for rent here. If you can find one, a room will cost about €850/month. A studio will cost about €1,200/month. An apartment can cost between €1,500 and €3,000 per month, depending on where you go.

Public transportation in Porz

At the Porz market, in particular, various bus lines line up next to each other to take you in all directions. And the Stadtbahn 7 is also ready to take you to the other end of the city!

Mülheim was once an industrial district that’s been revolutionized to become a hub for creatives and internationals alike. Mülheim is home to companies in the film, media, and music industries, as well as a number of IT companies. This area is also home to some of Cologne’s magnificent concert halls: E-Werk and the Palladium.

Mülheim is best suited for internationals with families and young professionals working in the creative industries.

Is Mülheim an expensive place to live in Cologne?

Parts of Mülheim are pretty expensive to live in, such as Buchforst, which is the second most expensive area to live in Cologne. On average, however, the rents here are pretty affordable. In Mülheim, you’ll find rooms for about €800/month, studios for about €1,100/month, and apartments from as little as €1,400 to €1,800/month.

Public transportation in Mülheim

At the Mülheim regional train station, you can easily get from A to B with the Buchforst S-Bahn. Numerous KVB and bus lines also pass through Cologne with you on board.

Chorweiler is best known to Cologne locals for its abundant high-rise buildings. While Chorweiler isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing neighborhood, and looks like a bit of a concrete jungle from the outside, you’ll find this area in Cologne has a warm sense of community. It’s considered an island of creativity with plenty of greenery, amenities and community events.

Chorweiler is best for families and professionals who want to embrace the community of this neighborhood.

Is Chorweiler an expensive place to live in Cologne?

Chorweiler isn’t the most favored neighborhood amongst Cologne locals, but that also makes it one of the most affordable areas in Cologne. You can find rooms for rent here for €750/month. There aren’t many studios, but if you find one, you’ll be paying over €1,000/month. Renting an apartment in Chorweiler costs about €1,500/month on average.

Public transportation in Chorweiler

With the S-Bahn 11 and 6, you can be in the heart of Chorweiler in no time, and there’re just as many bus lines waiting to take you from A to B in Cologne. Tram 15 also runs to Cologne Chorweiler.

Where do all the students in Cologne hang out? The best area in Cologne for students is undoubtedly Lindenthal, a district with many student halls of residence and student flatshares close to the university.

Students also head to Cologne Sülz, which is near the university. The trendy district of Ehrenfeld, with its countless pubs, clubs, and lively artists' scene, is a popular place for students.

There you have it! Everything you need to know about Cologne's neighborhoods. Your next step is to explore homes for rent in Cologne and find the perfect one for you.

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