Care homes in Hamburg: six months, one big jump
In Hamburg the care part of the home’s price rose more in six months than almost anywhere. Where the city stands now and what the surrounding area costs.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Monthly co-payment, Hamburg
€3,481
in month 1, supplement 15 %
| Care (EEE) after supplement | €1,835 |
|---|---|
| Board and lodging | €1,074 |
| Investment costs | €572 |
| Fund pays the home | €1,643 |
| Monthly gap after pension | €1,881 |
| Savings last until the protected amount | 17 months |
| Co-payments over the next 36 months | €112,367 |
| Year 1 (15 %) | €3,481 |
|---|---|
| Year 2 (30 %) | €3,157 |
| Year 3 (50 %) | €2,726 |
| Year 4 (75 %) | €2,186 |
Step-by-step calculation
- vdek average for Hamburg on 1 July 2026: EEE €2,159 (incl. training levy €229), board and lodging €1,074, investment costs €572.
- Month 1 in the home: supplement 15 % of the EEE = €323.85 (section 43c).
- Co-payment = €1,835.15 + €1,074 + €572 = €3,481.15.
Estimate using the 2026 amounts in Book XI of the Social Code. Only the decision letter from your Pflegekasse is binding. How we calculate
Between 1 January and 1 July 2026 the uniform care co-payment (EEE) in Hamburg care homes rose from €1,973 to €2,159, an increase of €186 a month (vdek). Hamburg therefore moved from rank 5 to rank 5 of the 16 states for the first-year co-payment, which now averages €3,481 a month. Besides the care part this includes €1,074 for board and lodging and €572 of investment costs, both above the national average. The nursing training levy within the care part, €229, is one of the highest in Germany. With the care fund’s supplement the co-payment falls to €3,157 in year two, €2,726 in year three and €2,186 from year four. In neighbouring Schleswig-Holstein the first-year figure is €3,148, €333 lower.
Hamburg before and after the jump
| Hamburg Jan 2026 | Hamburg Jul 2026 | Schleswig-Holstein Jul 2026 | Germany Jul 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care co-payment (EEE) | €1,973 | €2,159 | €1,782 | €2,088 |
| of which training levy | €229 | €229 | €76 | €150 |
| Board and lodging | €1,036 | €1,074 | €1,060 | €1,068 |
| Investment costs | €571 | €572 | €573 | €521 |
| Co-payment, year 1 | €3,284 | €3,481 | €3,148 | €3,364 |
Investment costs in Hamburg stayed virtually flat between January and July. The pressure comes from care, the part the fund subsidises more with time. A resident in their fourth year feels only a quarter of the jump; someone moving in now bears 85 percent of it in year one.
When comparing two Hamburg homes, the current EEE after the latest agreement matters most. Ask when the rate was last negotiated and enter the figure from the contract in the calculator. The care home co-payment explains how the bill is built.
The training levy
The care part includes a levy that funds the training of nurses. In Hamburg it is €229 a month, in Schleswig-Holstein only €76. As part of the EEE it is subsidised over the years like the rest of the care part. The vdek wants the states to pay these costs themselves; for now residents do.