Payotte study · 16 states

Buying a home in Germany: the costs in each state

Transfer tax, notary and land registry on the same home, from the statutes and the GNotKG fee scale.

Computed by Payotte from the rates read on 2026-10-19, with the same formulas as the purchase costs calculator.

In short

On a €500,000 home bought without a loan, the costs range from €22,240 in Bavaria (4.45% of the price) to €37,240 in Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein (7.45%): a gap of €15,000 on the same home. Only the real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) changes between states, from 3.5% to 6.5%; notary and land registry fees follow the same federal scale everywhere: €4,740 at that price.

Costs without a loan, by state

State	Transfer tax rate	Total on €300,000	Total on €500,000	Total on €800,000	Share of price
Brandenburg	6.5%	€22,719	€37,240	€59,174	7.45%
North Rhine-Westphalia	6.5%	€22,719	€37,240	€59,174	7.45%
Saarland	6.5%	€22,719	€37,240	€59,174	7.45%
Schleswig-Holstein	6.5%	€22,719	€37,240	€59,174	7.45%
Berlin	6%	€21,219	€34,740	€55,174	6.95%
Hesse	6%	€21,219	€34,740	€55,174	6.95%
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	6%	€21,219	€34,740	€55,174	6.95%
Bremen	5.5%	€19,719	€32,240	€51,174	6.45%
Hamburg	5.5%	€19,719	€32,240	€51,174	6.45%
Saxony	5.5%	€19,719	€32,240	€51,174	6.45%
Baden-Württemberg	5%	€18,219	€29,740	€47,174	5.95%
Lower Saxony	5%	€18,219	€29,740	€47,174	5.95%
Rhineland-Palatinate	5%	€18,219	€29,740	€47,174	5.95%
Saxony-Anhalt	5%	€18,219	€29,740	€47,174	5.95%
Thuringia	5%	€18,219	€29,740	€47,174	5.95%
Bavaria	3.5%	€13,719	€22,240	€35,174	4.45%

What a €500,000 purchase costs, line by line

State	Transfer tax	Notary (incl. VAT)	Land registry	With a €400,000 loan
Brandenburg	€32,500	€3,338	€1,403	€38,960
North Rhine-Westphalia	€32,500	€3,338	€1,403	€38,960
Saarland	€32,500	€3,338	€1,403	€38,960
Schleswig-Holstein	€32,500	€3,338	€1,403	€38,960
Berlin	€30,000	€3,338	€1,403	€36,460
Hesse	€30,000	€3,338	€1,403	€36,460
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	€30,000	€3,338	€1,403	€36,460
Bremen	€27,500	€3,338	€1,403	€33,960
Hamburg	€27,500	€3,338	€1,403	€33,960
Saxony	€27,500	€3,338	€1,403	€33,960
Baden-Württemberg	€25,000	€3,338	€1,403	€31,460
Lower Saxony	€25,000	€3,338	€1,403	€31,460
Rhineland-Palatinate	€25,000	€3,338	€1,403	€31,460
Saxony-Anhalt	€25,000	€3,338	€1,403	€31,460
Thuringia	€25,000	€3,338	€1,403	€31,460
Bavaria	€17,500	€3,338	€1,403	€23,960

Estate agent commission is not included: it is not set by law, and its split between buyer and seller depends on the contract.

Questions

Which German state has the lowest property purchase costs?

Bavaria, with a transfer tax of 3.5%: €22,240 in costs on a €500,000 home bought without a loan.

Which German states charge 6.5% transfer tax?

Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein.

How much does a mortgage add to the costs?

Registering a land charge (Grundschuld) for a €400,000 loan adds €1,719 in notary and land registry fees, in every state.