Cost of studying in Bielefeld
A student in Bielefeld needs €1,045–1,122 a month — from a room in a shared flat (WG) to an own studio. Rent makes the difference: health insurance and everyday costs are the same.
Budget by type of housing
The difference is almost entirely in housing: health insurance and everyday costs are the same in every column. For the visa you also need a blocked account of €992 a month (€11,904 a year) — the German authorities revise the amount every year.
| Item | Room in a shared flat (WG) | Own studio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | €427 | €504 |
| Health insurance (statutory, students) | €143 | €143 |
| Food, transport, phone and the rest | €475 | €475 |
| Total per month | €1,045 | €1,122 |
| Per semester (6 months) | €6,270 | €6,732 |
WG room and a 30 m² flat (warm rent) — MLP Studentenwohnreport 2026; other costs (food, clothing, transport, study materials) — a student's basic need under BAföG, €475 a month (§ 13 BAföG). Studierendenwerk dormitory rents are not entered yet.
Data for 2026 · source below
Tuition and semester fee
Rules of North Rhine-Westphalia →The tuition fee for international students is set by the federal state; the semester contribution is charged by each university.
| Tuition fee for international students | not chargedpublic universities, including international students |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €334–357 per semesterall students; what it includes is set by the university |
Comparison with other cities
Living costs per month by the same method for every city; «from» is with the cheapest housing we have data for — a place in a dormitory or a room in a WG.
| City | Room in a WG | Living costs / month | Per semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg | €736 | from €1,318 | from €7,908 |
| Heidelberg | €685 | from €1,303 | from €7,818 |
| Frankfurt am Main | €674 | from €1,292 | from €7,752 |
| Cologne | €672 | from €1,290 | from €7,740 |
| Berlin | €659 | from €1,277 | from €7,662 |
| Freiburg | €609 | from €1,227 | from €7,362 |
| Münster | €606 | from €1,224 | from €7,344 |
| Düsseldorf | €563 | from €1,181 | from €7,086 |
| Konstanz | €559 | from €1,177 | from €7,062 |
| Stuttgart | €559 | from €1,177 | from €7,062 |
| Würzburg | €548 | from €1,166 | from €6,996 |
| Karlsruhe | €548 | from €1,166 | from €6,996 |
| Ulm | €528 | from €1,146 | from €6,876 |
| Aachen | €526 | from €1,144 | from €6,864 |
| Bremen | €521 | from €1,139 | from €6,834 |
| Bonn | €514 | from €1,132 | from €6,792 |
| Regensburg | €512 | from €1,130 | from €6,780 |
| Nuremberg | €509 | from €1,127 | from €6,762 |
| Mainz | €508 | from €1,126 | from €6,756 |
| Mannheim | €494 | from €1,112 | from €6,672 |
| Darmstadt | €492 | from €1,110 | from €6,660 |
| Tübingen | €466 | from €1,084 | from €6,504 |
| Jena | €465 | from €1,083 | from €6,498 |
| Oldenburg | €463 | from €1,081 | from €6,486 |
| Dresden | €463 | from €1,081 | from €6,486 |
| Hanover | €461 | from €1,079 | from €6,474 |
| Saarbrücken | €455 | from €1,073 | from €6,438 |
| Rostock | €450 | from €1,068 | from €6,408 |
| Leipzig | €444 | from €1,062 | from €6,372 |
| Bielefeld · you are here | €427 | from €1,045 | from €6,270 |
| Trier | €421 | from €1,039 | from €6,234 |
| Göttingen | €419 | from €1,037 | from €6,222 |
| Kiel | €404 | from €1,022 | from €6,132 |
| Munich | €850 | from €1,018 | from €6,108 |
| Bochum | €386 | from €1,004 | from €6,024 |
| Greifswald | €340 | from €958 | from €5,748 |
| Magdeburg | €336 | from €954 | from €5,724 |
| Chemnitz | €222 | from €840 | from €5,040 |
Choose the city after the programme all the same: a cheaper city does not make up for a programme that does not fit.
Questions about costs in Bielefeld
How much does a student need per month in Bielefeld?
How much is a room in Bielefeld?
Does the blocked account cover these costs?
We'll calculate your budget for the city and the programme
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