A €1,400 Pension: Where It's Enough and Where It Isn't
A pension of €1,400/month gross becomes a net of about €1,219 (2026) after health-insurance contributions. Whether it covers housing depends on the city. In Munich, after 1BR rent and the Deutschlandticket (nationwide transit pass), you're left with −€44: the pension isn't enough. In Chemnitz €826 is left. The same pension, different purchasing power.
How much is left after rent
The €1,400 pension has contributions to Krankenversicherung der Rentner (KVdR — pensioners' health insurance) and Pflegeversicherung (long-term-care insurance) deducted — together about 13%. The net of €1,219 is the same in every city; rent makes the difference.
| City | Net pension | Rent 1BR | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munich | €1,219 | €1,200 | −€44 |
| Berlin | €1,219 | €1,100 | €56 |
| Leipzig | €1,219 | €580 | €576 |
| Dresden | €1,219 | €540 | €616 |
| Chemnitz | €1,219 | €330 | €826 |
In Munich the market 1BR rent (€1,200) is higher than the entire net pension. That leaves −€44 before groceries. In Chemnitz, after rent and the transit pass, €826 is left to live on.
What drives the difference: rent
The pension is federal, health-insurance contributions are the same. The only lever is rent. Between Munich (€1,200) and Chemnitz (€330) the difference is €870/month. It fully explains the spread in what's left.
For a pensioner on a fixed income, rent is not one line item among many — it's almost everything. When income doesn't grow, a cheap city gives a buffer an expensive one can't.
When the pension isn't enough
A negative balance in Munich isn't a dead end. There are support mechanisms (this is not a recommendation of a specific action, but a list of options).
- Wohngeld (housing benefit) — a rent supplement for low-income households. Pensioners apply on the same terms as workers.
- Grundsicherung im Alter (basic income support in old age) — if pension and savings don't cover the subsistence minimum.
- Moving to a city with realistic rent — a direct way to bring the balance back into the black, but it also changes access to doctors and social ties.
Eligibility for these payments depends on income, savings and rent. The exact calculation is done at the local Wohngeldstelle (housing benefit office) or Sozialamt (social welfare office).
How much Grundsicherung im Alter can give
Grundsicherung im Alter is calculated the same way as Bürgergeld (basic income support): a Regelsatz (standard rate) of €563/month for a single person (2026, frozen for the second year running) plus Kosten der Unterkunft (KdU — recognised rent) up to the city's cap [5]. If the net pension is below this sum, the Sozialamt tops up the difference.
| Munich | Chemnitz | |
|---|---|---|
| Regelsatz (2026) | €563 | €563 |
| + KdU cap, 1 person | €890 | €313 |
| = Recognised need | €1,453 | €876 |
| Net pension | €1,219 | €1,219 |
| Grundsicherung top-up | ~€234/month | €0 — the pension is enough |
This is a simplified illustration: the actual Sozialamt calculation also accounts for other income, supplements (for example for disability) and a special Freibetrag (allowance) on the pension for a long contribution record. The city paradox works here too: in expensive Munich the same pension qualifies for a top-up, in Chemnitz it doesn't.
Two limits are worth knowing in advance.
- The KdU cap isn't market rent. In Munich the cap is €890 against a market 1BR of €1,200: the Sozialamt recognises only €890, you pay the difference — or the office asks you to find "angemessene" (reasonably priced) housing.
- Schonvermögen (protected savings) for Grundsicherung im Alter is €10,000 per person plus €10,000 for a spouse/partner (§90 SGB XII) [6]. This is a separate, simpler scale than Bürgergeld's, and the Neue Grundsicherung reform from July 2026 doesn't change it — it applies only to SGB II.
Wohngeld is an alternative for those whose pension is above the Grundsicherung threshold but whose rent eats up too much: more in the Wohngeld article.
Accessibility and healthcare
The figures don't show what matters with age. These factors are qualitative.
- Accessible environment. Lifts, level routes, step-free transport — more common in big cities, but rent is higher there too.
- Doctors and specialists. In Munich, Berlin and Dresden the density of specialists is higher and appointments come faster. In small towns the choice is narrower and waits are longer.
- Neighbourhood and language. A familiar environment and Russian-speaking communities reduce isolation. In Berlin and Leipzig they are more visible than in Chemnitz.
Cheap rent and easy access to specialists often don't coincide in one city. It's a trade-off each person weighs alone.
Example: Munich vs Chemnitz
One pension of €1,400, two different situations.
| Item | Munich | Chemnitz |
|---|---|---|
| Net pension | €1,219 | €1,219 |
| − Rent 1BR | −€1,200 | −€330 |
| − Deutschlandticket | −€63 | −€63 |
| = Left | −€44 | €826 |
In Munich the pension doesn't cover market rent — without Wohngeld or savings, housing is out of reach. In Chemnitz €826 is left for groceries, medicine and leisure.
Which city fits whom
- Priority — the pension's purchasing power — Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig: €576–826 is left.
- Access to specialists and environment matters — Berlin: €56 left, but the density of doctors and communities is higher.
- Munich is needed for family or health — budget for Wohngeld or savings: market rent is above the pension.
FAQ
This is not legal or financial advice.
Why does €1,219 remain from €1,400? Health-insurance (KVdR) and long-term-care contributions are deducted — together about 13%. The net of €1,219 (2026) is the same across the country.
What to do if the balance is negative? Check eligibility for Wohngeld (housing benefit) or Grundsicherung im Alter (basic income support). The application goes to the local office; eligibility depends on income and savings.
Does rent really change everything? Between Munich and Chemnitz the rent difference is €870/month. On a fixed pension that's the entire spread in what's left — from −€44 to €826.
Sources
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung — Krankenversicherung der Rentner (KVdR), deductions from the pension, https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de (2026)
- Wohnungsbörse — Angebotsmieten 1BR (Kaltmiete) by city, https://www.wohnungsboerse.net/mietspiegel (2025–2026)
- Deutschlandticket — €63/month fare from January 2026, https://www.deutschlandticket.de (2026)
- Bundesministerium für Wohnen — Wohngeld and Grundsicherung im Alter, conditions, https://www.bmwsb.bund.de (2026)
- Bundesregierung / BMAS — Regelbedarfe 2026 (Regelbedarfsstufe 1 = €563, "zero round" for the second year), https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/nullrunde-buergergeld-2383676 (2026)
- § 90 SGB XII — Schonvermögen €10,000 per person for Grundsicherung im Alter, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_12/__90.html (2026)
This is not legal or financial advice.
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