Care homes in Lower Saxony: second cheapest in year one
Lower Saxony is near the bottom of the care home cost table. Where the state saves, where it does not, and what five years in a home cost in total.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Monthly co-payment, Lower Saxony
€3,008
in month 1, supplement 15 %
| Care (EEE) after supplement | €1,583 |
|---|---|
| Board and lodging | €857 |
| Investment costs | €568 |
| Fund pays the home | €1,598 |
| Monthly gap after pension | €1,408 |
| Savings last until the protected amount | 24 months |
| Co-payments over the next 36 months | €97,105 |
| Year 1 (15 %) | €3,008 |
|---|---|
| Year 2 (30 %) | €2,728 |
| Year 3 (50 %) | €2,356 |
| Year 4 (75 %) | €1,891 |
Step-by-step calculation
- vdek average for Lower Saxony on 1 July 2026: EEE €1,862 (incl. training levy €136), board and lodging €857, investment costs €568.
- Month 1 in the home: supplement 15 % of the EEE = €279.30 (section 43c).
- Co-payment = €1,582.70 + €857 + €568 = €3,007.70.
Estimate using the 2026 amounts in Book XI of the Social Code. Only the decision letter from your Pflegekasse is binding. How we calculate
Moving into a care home in Lower Saxony meant an average first-year co-payment of €3,008 a month on 1 July 2026; only Saxony-Anhalt was cheaper (vdek, rank 15 of 16). The main reason is board and lodging: at €857 they are the cheapest of all states, €211 below the national figure. The care part (EEE) is also well below average at €1,862 before the supplement. Investment costs are the exception: €568 a month, above the national €521, and 19 % of the first-year co-payment. With the rising supplement the co-payment falls to €1,891 from year four. Five years in a home add up to about €142,477. Compared with the city state of Bremen, which Lower Saxony surrounds, a place saves €753 a month in year one. Since January the co-payment has risen by €105.
Lower Saxony, Bremen and Germany
| Lower Saxony | Bremen | Germany | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care co-payment (EEE) | €1,862 | €2,296 | €2,088 |
| Board and lodging | €857 | €1,179 | €1,068 |
| Investment costs | €568 | €630 | €521 |
| Year 1 | €3,008 | €3,761 | €3,364 |
| From year 4 | €1,891 | €2,383 | €2,111 |
Compared with Bremen, Lower Saxony is cheaper on all three components, most of all on board and lodging. The gap is smaller on investment costs, which in Lower Saxony are above average. For Bremen families looking for a place just outside the city this is a measurable advantage that shrinks only a little with the length of stay.
Do not underestimate investment costs
Investment costs of €568 are never subsidised and stay the same throughout. From year four they make up almost a third of the co-payment. When comparing two homes, ask how high this item is in each; new buildings are often well above average. See investment costs and who pays for a care home.