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Care homes in North Rhine-Westphalia: the 2026 co-payment

In NRW it is not care that weighs most, but board, lodging and the building. That matters for long-term residents and for the state’s housing allowance.

Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate

0 = moving in now

empty = state average

Monthly co-payment, North Rhine-Westphalia

€3,671

in month 1, supplement 15 %

Care (EEE) after supplement€1,686
Board and lodging€1,331
Investment costs€654
Fund pays the home€1,616
Monthly gap after pension€2,071
Savings last until the protected amount15 months
Co-payments over the next 36 months€120,242
By year in the home
Year 1 (15 %)€3,671
Year 2 (30 %)€3,373
Year 3 (50 %)€2,977
Year 4 (75 %)€2,481
Step-by-step calculation
  1. vdek average for North Rhine-Westphalia on 1 July 2026: EEE €1,983 (incl. training levy €173), board and lodging €1,331, investment costs €654.
  2. Month 1 in the home: supplement 15 % of the EEE = €297.45 (section 43c).
  3. Co-payment = €1,685.55 + €1,331 + €654 = €3,670.55.

Estimate using the 2026 amounts in Book XI of the Social Code. Only the decision letter from your Pflegekasse is binding. How we calculate

On 1 July 2026 North Rhine-Westphalia had the highest board and lodging costs of any German state, €1,331 a month, and the highest investment costs, €654, according to the vdek. Its care co-payment (EEE), by contrast, is €1,983, below the national €2,088. In the first year residents pay €3,671 a month on average, rank 3 of 16. Because the care fund’s supplement only reduces the care part, the co-payment falls more slowly in NRW than elsewhere: €3,373 in year two, €2,977 in year three and €2,481 from year four. From the fourth year NRW is therefore the most expensive state (rank 1). Board, lodging and investment costs together come to €1,985 and are never subsidised by the fund. For the investment costs, however, NRW offers a care home housing allowance (Pflegewohngeld) under its Care Act when income and savings are not enough.

NRW in figures

vdek, average across homes in North Rhine-Westphalia.
ComponentNRW July 2026NRW January 2026Germany July 2026
Care co-payment (EEE) before supplement€1,983€1,916€2,088
Board and lodging€1,331€1,307€1,068
Investment costs€654€646€521
Co-payment, year 1€3,671€3,582€3,364
Co-payment from year 4€2,481€2,432€2,111

Since January the year-one co-payment has risen by €89, mainly through the care part (€67 more). Investment costs barely moved. For long-term planning the fixed items still dominate: after three years they make up more than three quarters of the bill.

Check Pflegewohngeld before savings run out

Pflegewohngeld is specific to NRW (Consumer Centre NRW). It covers investment costs, averaging €654 a month, once savings are below €10,000 and income is insufficient. Use the savings run-down in the calculator above to see from which month an application makes sense; social assistance for care can close any remaining gap.

Questions families ask

What is Pflegewohngeld in North Rhine-Westphalia?

A state benefit under section 14 of the NRW Care Act (APG NRW) that pays a resident’s investment costs when income and savings cannot. It applies from care grade 2 to permanent residential care, not to short-term care. Protected savings are €10,000 for a single person and €15,000 for a couple; the money goes straight to the home.

Why does the NRW co-payment fall so little over time?

The supplement under section 43c SGB XI only applies to the care part, which is relatively low in NRW, while board, lodging and investment costs are high at €1,985 combined. Between year one and year four the co-payment therefore drops by only €1,190, against €1,311 in Bavaria.

Where do we apply for Pflegewohngeld?

At the local social welfare office of the district or independent city, with proof of income and assets. The home may apply for you, but only with your explicit consent. Ask before moving in whether the home is eligible for funding, as only then is the allowance paid. If the gap exceeds the investment costs, social assistance for care can cover the rest.

Continue with

Care home costs

Care home co-payment for every German state and every year of residence, with a savings run-down.

Investment costs

What residents pay for the building: €332 to €654 a month depending on the state, never subsidised.

Social assistance for care

When pension and savings run out: protected savings €10,000, personal allowance €152.01, income limit and how to apply.

Care home supplement

The care fund’s supplement on the co-payment: 15, 30, 50 and 75 percent, how months count and what it is worth in each state.

Rhineland-Palatinate

Germany’s lowest care part but costly accommodation: €3,289 in year one, €2,230 from year four.

Laws and data

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Amounts 2026, read on