Berlin District Guide 2025 - Where should you look for a flat?

Berlin has 12 districts - but in reality, many of them feel like cities in their own right. This guide categorises them into six search categories, shows current rental prices (as of Q1-2025) and reveals the special rules that will shape your flat search in Berlin. This will help you find out more quickly which neighbourhood really suits your budget and lifestyle.

Trend & nightlife hotspots

Typical neighbourhoods: Kreuzberg 36, Reuterkiez (North Neukölln), East Friedrichshain, parts of Wedding-Sprengelkiez

Ø Rents in 2025: €14 - €17/m²

Berlin pulsates here almost around the clock: late-night eateries, kebabs at 3 am, pop-ups and clubs on the Landwehrkanal or Revaler Strasse. Berlin Neukölln trendy neighbourhoods are very popular - and have their price: up to 200 applicants or more per property, often index-linked or graduated rent. Watch out for additional costs for furnished flats. If you're lucky, you'll find shared flats from €550 warm - singles rarely pay less than €1,050 warm for a one-room old building.

Creative & loft feeling

Typical neighbourhoods: RAW-Gelände & Simon-Dach-Kiez (Friedrichshain), Alte Mälzerei Tempelhof, parts of Moabit/Wedding

Ø Rents in 2025: €12 - €16/m²

Are you looking for a hip loft or a studio on the mezzanine floor? Former industrial spaces have been converted into brick lofts in recent years: 3.50 m ceiling height, steel beams, open-plan layout. Many units are let furnished for short periods (+15-25 % surcharge). The good news is that the classic rent cap does not apply in the case of partial commercial use (50/50 rule).

Best districts for families

Typical neighbourhoods: Prenzlauer Berg - Kollwitzplatz, Pankow-Heinersdorf, Lichterfelde-West, Zehlendorf

Ø Rents in 2025: €11 - €14/m²

The search term ‘best neighbourhoods in Berlin for families in 2025’ almost always leads to Prenzlauer Berg: playgrounds, organic weekly markets, daycare centres within a 500 m radius. Old four-room buildings here cost €13 per square metre, but green spaces are worth their weight in gold (Mauerpark, Volkspark Friedrichshain). If you want to stay on a budget, look towards Pankow-Heinersdorf: S-Bahn to Mitte in 15 minutes, 4-room new-builds from €10/m². In Zehlendorf/Lichterfelde-West, semi-detached houses with gardens await - but 30 minutes to Potsdamer Platz.

Green & on the water

Typical neighbourhoods: Köpenick, Treptow-Plänterwald, Spandau

Ø Rents in 2025: €9 - €12/m²

Houseboats, forest walks, after-work SUPs - you currently pay €9 - €11/m² cold for flats in Berlin Köpenick on the water. Many buildings date from the 1990s, have underground parking spaces, balconies and often lifts. Commuting time: 35 - 45 minutes to Alexanderplatz (S3). In Spandau you can find old villas with a view of the Havel. Ideal for couples who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city without crossing the Brandenburg border.

Budget peripheral districts

Typical neighbourhoods: Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Neu-Hohenschönhausen, Falkenhagener Feld (Spandau)

Ø Rents in 2025: €8 - €10/m²

Here you can really still find a cheap rental flat in Berlin without an estate agent: well-renovated prefabricated high-rise buildings, 60 m² often < €900 warm. Waiting lists are sometimes shorter than three weeks. Good infrastructure: Ring-Bahn in 20 minutes, modern shopping centres, schools. If you work remotely or have a starting budget, start here and move later.

Luxury & Wilhelminian style

Typical neighbourhoods: Charlottenburg-Westend, Grunewald, Mitte-Gendarmenmarkt, Diplomatenviertel Tiergarten

Ø Rents in 2025: €16 - €22/m²

Schloss-Charlottenburg on the doorstep, concierge in the foyer, roof terrace with a view over the city. Old building flats from €4,000 cold, graduated rent or index is standard, deposit often three months' rent. Plus points: underground car park, wine cellar, 24/7 caretaker. International specialists and executives secure furnished flats with all-inclusive services and fixed-term contracts (6-24 months).