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Living in Cologne

In Cologne, the median gross salary is €4,654 a month (2025) and unemployment is 7.1% (2022).

Cologne, a city in Germany, had a population of 1,100,076 at the end of 2025. A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €15.4 per m² per month in May 2026. Car density was 456 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-2435 sources

Population1,100,076people31 Dec 2025Official source · Stadt Koeln Statistik
Median gross salary4,654EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025
Average net rent15.4EUR/m²/month1 May 2026Commercial source · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Cologne
Unemployment rate7.09%country median 5.1% — 39% aboveOfficial source · Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities
Recorded crime12,343incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 31% aboveOfficial source · PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte
PM2.5, annual mean8.58µg/m³country median 8.0 — 7% aboveOfficial source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.

Higher unemployment than 85% of German cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 89% of German cities that publish it and dirtier air than 65% of German cities that publish it.

Which Germany-wide rules apply when you move to Cologne?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in GermanyNational rates and thresholds that apply in Cologne.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Cologne?

Average net cold rent is 15.4 EUR/m² per month (May 2026), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 15.4 EUR/m²/month · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Cologne35
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Cologne recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€545
Utilities, 85 m² flat€264
Transport pass€100
Internet, 60 Mbps€33
Fitness club€33
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps, Mobile plan, 10 GB. The others are published prices.

Net rent across major citiesCologne highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Cologne highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Munich€15.38
Hamburg€9.94
Stuttgart€9.72
Augsburg€9.10
Leipzig€6.27
Dortmund€6.00
Show the other 6 cities
Mannheim€9.09
Berlin€7.71
Dresden€7.20
Brunswick€6.79
Bielefeld€6.72
Duisburg€6.66
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly32.78 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v234Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited33.42 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v234Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly545 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v234Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12.94 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v234Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB13.08 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Cologne. Jul 2026. Prices in Cologne33Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass100 EUR/month26 Jul 2026www.vrs.de20Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home264.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v234Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average net rent (nettokalt)15.4 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Cologne35Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,720 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €4,654, that leaves €2,935 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Cologne salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,720 basket · median gross salary €4,654/month
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 76%€1,309
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 15%€264
  • Transport pass · 6%€100
  • Internet and mobile · 3%€47

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,720 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-09-24).

Is Cologne a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–64%
Skilled employee65%strong on work, weak on safety · range 57–73%
Student49%strong on education, weak on safety · range 42–56%
Family53%strong on family, weak on cost · range 46–60%
Retirement48%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 39–57%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 924 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 15.4 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: May 2026

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 924 EUR a month, which is 20% of the published median gross salary of 4,654 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: May 2026

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 7.09% in May 2022.

What is the typical salary in Cologne?

The median gross salary is about 4,654 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024-12) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

  • Median gross salary: 4,654 EUR/month · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202516
  • Median gross salary (regional): 4,700 EUR/month · 2026-08-26 · Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA), Statistik1

What is the unemployment rate in Cologne?

The unemployment rate is about 7.1 % (May 2022).

  • Unemployment rate: 7.09 % · Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities23
Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Cologne is 7.1%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public employment offices1 count11 Aug 2026Köln — exact current-export location record6Official
Median gross salary4,654 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202516Official
Median gross salary (regional)4,700 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA), Statistik1Official
Unemployment rate7.09 %country median 5.1%15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities23Official
Unemployment rate over time25 published observations, 1991–2025

Unemployment rate rose 49.9% between 1991 and 2025, from 6.1% to 9.1%.

What does a salary buy in Cologne?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Cologne median gross pay: €4,654 (Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,610of €2,945 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.€2,945
Rent, 60 m²€15.40/m² · market price · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Cologne · 2026-05-01− €924
Public transport pass€100 · official · vrs.de · 2026-07-26− €100
Utilities, 85 m²€264 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €264
Internet€33 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €33
Mobile plan€13 · market price · Cost of Living in Cologne. Jul 2026. Prices in Cologne · 2026-07-31− €13
Left over€1,610
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Cologne Salary needed to live in Cologne

Public employment offices in Cologne

Köln lists 1 public employment office in Cologne (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Public employment service

Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Germany service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public language course providers27 count15 Sept 2026Official BAMF-NAvI course-location records — Cologne10Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Länder Sprachförderung (e.g. Sprachlernklassen BW/Berlin; vorklassen); Starting Opportunities Programme. How to enrol a child (kmk.org).

A country-wide rule for Germany; Cologne's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents551 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)2Official
Hospitals24 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 20248Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Cologne through valid health insurance.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents551 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Cologne?

Police recorded 12,343 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte15

Recorded crime across major citiesCologne highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Cologne highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Hanover13,192
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Leipzig11,129
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Stuttgart8,552
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents12,343 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte15Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate12,481 incidents per 100,0002022INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport92 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights13Official
Destinations from nearest airport92 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat13Official
Nearest airportCGN13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv14Official
Distance to nearest airport15.1 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv14Official
Distance to the nearest major airport15 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)CGN3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official

Language courses and integration in Cologne

0 exact private or nonprofit provider records are linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally
27publicly funded course providers

German and integration course guidance in Cologne — Integration course

Stadt Köln / Amt für Integration und Vielfalt / VHS Köln

For immigrants, newcomers.

GermanIn Person
Open official information
Check courses in CologneHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Cologne

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 3°C in January and 19°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 62 mm in January and 87 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 8.58 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Cologne?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 8.58 µg/m³ · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.12
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in GermanyAnnual PM2.5 in Cologne is 8.6 µg/m³. Of 477 cities with data, 164 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean21.89 µg/m³country median 13.72024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.12Official
NO₂ — latest reading12.31 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.12Official
PM10 — annual mean13.25 µg/m³country median 13.52024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.12Official
PM2.5 — annual mean8.58 µg/m³country median 8.02024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.12Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 5.9 · Feb 7.2 · Mar 11.4 · Apr 16.1 · May 19.7 · Jun 22.7 · Jul 24.9 · Aug 24.5 · Sep 20.4 · Oct 15.2 · Nov 9.8 · Dec 6.5 °C31 Dec 1991Cologne climate table, 1991-2020 normals24Independent
Average night-time low by monthJan 0 · Feb 0.1 · Mar 2 · Apr 4.5 · May 8.1 · Jun 11.2 · Jul 13.3 · Aug 12.8 · Sep 9.7 · Oct 6.8 · Nov 3.5 · Dec 1 °C31 Dec 1991Cologne climate table, 1991-2020 normals24Independent
Average temperature by monthJan 3 · Feb 3.6 · Mar 6.7 · Apr 10.4 · May 14.1 · Jun 17.1 · Jul 19 · Aug 18.5 · Sep 14.8 · Oct 10.8 · Nov 6.7 · Dec 3.8 °C31 Dec 1991Cologne climate table, 1991-2020 normals24Independent
Average precipitation by monthJan 62 · Feb 54 · Mar 55 · Apr 48 · May 62 · Jun 86 · Jul 87 · Aug 83 · Sep 67 · Oct 65 · Nov 64 · Dec 69 mm31 Dec 1991Cologne climate table, 1991-2020 normals24Independent
Average sunshine by monthJan 54 · Feb 75 · Mar 125 · Apr 173 · May 199 · Jun 201 · Jul 207 · Aug 197 · Sep 150 · Oct 105 · Nov 59 · Dec 45 hours31 Dec 1991Cologne climate table, 1991-2020 normals24Independent

Similar climate. In Germany: Werl ±0.4 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±0.4 °C, Nancy (France) ±0.4 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±1.4 °C, Leuven (Belgium) ±0.7 °C, Antwerp (Belgium) ±0.8 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 405 km² in 2025.

How many people live in Cologne?

The published population was 1,100,076 people in 2025. Source: Stadt Koeln Statistik17

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents456 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality7Official
City area405 km²31 Dec 2025Destatis Gemeindeverzeichnis3Official
Foreign residents189,144 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities22Official
Population1,100,076 people31 Dec 2025Stadt Koeln Statistik17Official
Population over time14 published observations, 2012–2025

Population rose 8.5% between 2012 and 2025, from 1,013,665 to 1,100,076.

Foreign residents over time20 published observations, 2004–2023

Foreign residents rose 26.7% between 2004 and 2023, from 171,570 to 217,401.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents305,923 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit21Official
Catholic share30.1 %15 May 2022Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit21Official
No religion or other573,790 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit21Official
No religion or other, share56.4 %15 May 2022Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit21Official
Protestant residents137,642 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit21Official
Protestant share13.5 %15 May 2022Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit21Official

International community in Cologne

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total1,017,355100.0%
Germany773,04576.0%
Turkey42,4004.2%
Poland22,7282.2%
Italy11,3181.1%
Russian Federation11,0281.1%
Iran, Islamic Republic of10,3871.0%
Iraq10,0601.0%
Ukraine9,0630.9%
Syrian Arab Republic7,2750.7%
Bulgaria7,1290.7%
Show 168 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Romania5,9050.6%
Kazakhstan5,3210.5%
Afghanistan4,7400.5%
Serbia4,0040.4%
Morocco3,9590.4%
Greece3,7720.4%
India3,5980.4%
France3,3750.3%
Spain3,2760.3%
Kosovo2,8490.3%
Not stated2,8100.3%
Bosnia and Herzegovina2,7670.3%
China2,5050.2%
United States2,3740.2%
Croatia2,3150.2%
Austria2,1750.2%
United Kingdom2,1120.2%
Brazil2,0290.2%
Portugal1,9580.2%
Tunisia1,9370.2%
Czech Republic1,8880.2%
Netherlands1,7750.2%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1,6610.2%
Albania1,6030.2%
Hungary1,5420.2%
Belgium1,5070.1%
Nigeria1,2240.1%
Viet Nam1,2060.1%
Eritrea1,1740.1%
Switzerland1,1320.1%
Moldova, Republic of1,0170.1%
Ghana9690.1%
Pakistan9330.1%
Thailand9240.1%
Korea, Republic of8680.1%
Azerbaijan8480.1%
Philippines8320.1%
Colombia8290.1%
Luxembourg7460.1%
Bangladesh7420.1%
Ethiopia7140.1%
Uzbekistan7100.1%
Mexico7080.1%
Kyrgyzstan6910.1%
Algeria6880.1%
Lithuania6800.1%
Georgia6690.1%
Japan6550.1%
Lebanon6420.1%
Argentina6270.1%
Egypt6050.1%
Indonesia5940.1%
Peru5750.1%
Slovakia5410.1%
Armenia5250.1%
Latvia5230.1%
Belarus5210.1%
Cameroon5190.1%
Guinea5080.0%
Congo5030.0%
Slovenia4690.0%
Kenya4580.0%
Togo4570.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the4450.0%
Ecuador4270.0%
Chile4230.0%
Canada4200.0%
Israel4120.0%
Sweden3950.0%
Montenegro3930.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of3780.0%
Somalia3580.0%
Australia3530.0%
Angola3430.0%
Cuba3390.0%
Ireland3360.0%
South Africa3330.0%
Sri Lanka3180.0%
Tajikistan3110.0%
Denmark3100.0%
Finland2790.0%
Senegal2630.0%
Taiwan, Province of China2480.0%
Jordan2430.0%
Côte D'Ivoire2360.0%
Dominican Republic2090.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of1970.0%
Saudi Arabia1910.0%
Libya1730.0%
Estonia1600.0%
Cyprus1550.0%
United Arab Emirates1460.0%
Mongolia1360.0%
Gambia1340.0%
Uganda1320.0%
Norway1250.0%
Sudan1150.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic1140.0%
Malaysia1070.0%
Nepal930.0%
Uruguay900.0%
Singapore870.0%
Zimbabwe840.0%
Kuwait830.0%
Costa Rica810.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of800.0%
New Zealand790.0%
Chad760.0%
Palestinian territories690.0%
Guatemala680.0%
Yemen680.0%
Cambodia680.0%
El Salvador670.0%
Madagascar660.0%
Mali650.0%
Turkmenistan650.0%
Namibia640.0%
Jamaica610.0%
Liberia570.0%
Benin550.0%
Nicaragua530.0%
Rwanda520.0%
Malta490.0%
Burkina Faso490.0%
Sierra Leone470.0%
Haiti470.0%
Honduras460.0%
Paraguay460.0%
Myanmar460.0%
Mauritius450.0%
Mozambique340.0%
Gabon330.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of330.0%
Burundi320.0%
Niger310.0%
Iceland280.0%
Central African Republic230.0%
Oman230.0%
Zambia220.0%
Guinea-Bissau210.0%
Mauritania200.0%
Qatar200.0%
Panama170.0%
Djibouti110.0%
Cape Verde110.0%
Trinidad and Tobago100.0%
Botswana90.0%
Malawi90.0%
Suriname90.0%
Guyana80.0%
South Sudan70.0%
Bahamas70.0%
Bahrain70.0%
Papua New Guinea70.0%
Barbados60.0%
Swaziland50.0%
Samoa50.0%
Monaco40.0%
Lesotho40.0%
Dominica40.0%
Liechtenstein30.0%
Comoros30.0%
Sao Tome and Principe30.0%
Seychelles30.0%
Equatorial Guinea30.0%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines30.0%
Fiji30.0%
Palau30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source19

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total1,017,355100.0%
Germany828,21181.4%
Turkey44,1334.3%
Italy16,5761.6%
Iraq8,2200.8%
Syrian Arab Republic7,3870.7%
Bulgaria7,3430.7%
Poland7,2710.7%
Ukraine7,2110.7%
Greece4,5990.5%
Romania4,3930.4%
Show 159 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Iran, Islamic Republic of4,1980.4%
Serbia4,0140.4%
Russian Federation3,9750.4%
Spain3,6190.4%
Afghanistan3,5960.4%
Bosnia and Herzegovina3,2830.3%
Croatia3,0930.3%
France2,7680.3%
India2,5810.3%
Kosovo2,5180.2%
Portugal2,4750.2%
Netherlands2,1720.2%
Austria2,0350.2%
China1,9580.2%
Morocco1,8990.2%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1,8300.2%
Albania1,6360.2%
United States1,6260.2%
Belgium1,3050.1%
United Kingdom1,2950.1%
Tunisia1,2190.1%
Hungary1,1750.1%
Eritrea1,0820.1%
Nigeria1,0380.1%
Brazil1,0230.1%
Viet Nam7650.1%
Ghana7480.1%
Bangladesh6910.1%
Azerbaijan6890.1%
Luxembourg6790.1%
Korea, Republic of6710.1%
Pakistan6470.1%
Thailand6400.1%
Montenegro6270.1%
Switzerland6160.1%
Uncertain6140.1%
Japan5920.1%
Lithuania5330.1%
Colombia4860.0%
Armenia4810.0%
Guinea4780.0%
Georgia4380.0%
Czech Republic4310.0%
Egypt4060.0%
Mexico3920.0%
Indonesia3880.0%
Kazakhstan3860.0%
Latvia3730.0%
Philippines3720.0%
Ireland3700.0%
Somalia3700.0%
Canada3630.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the3610.0%
Sweden3550.0%
Belarus3550.0%
Slovakia3350.0%
Lebanon3270.0%
Algeria3110.0%
Moldova, Republic of2870.0%
Cameroon2840.0%
Israel2790.0%
Congo2750.0%
Peru2730.0%
Togo2700.0%
Ethiopia2670.0%
Denmark2630.0%
Australia2490.0%
Argentina2390.0%
Chile2370.0%
Kenya2330.0%
Finland2260.0%
Tajikistan2220.0%
Kyrgyzstan2090.0%
Angola2060.0%
Stateless1960.0%
Slovenia1940.0%
Uzbekistan1790.0%
Sri Lanka1650.0%
Ecuador1620.0%
Cuba1610.0%
Jordan1560.0%
Taiwan, Province of China1460.0%
Cyprus1360.0%
Norway1340.0%
Mongolia1340.0%
Senegal1320.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of1310.0%
Côte D'Ivoire1220.0%
South Africa1130.0%
Libya1070.0%
Gambia1010.0%
Estonia930.0%
Malaysia790.0%
Dominican Republic780.0%
Nepal780.0%
Uganda740.0%
Sudan730.0%
New Zealand550.0%
Madagascar540.0%
Saudi Arabia510.0%
Zimbabwe500.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of470.0%
Not stated430.0%
El Salvador420.0%
Singapore420.0%
Burkina Faso390.0%
Mauritius380.0%
Palestinian territories370.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of350.0%
Costa Rica350.0%
Mali330.0%
Jamaica320.0%
Rwanda310.0%
Honduras310.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of310.0%
Iceland300.0%
Benin300.0%
Yemen300.0%
Malta290.0%
Uruguay270.0%
Myanmar260.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic250.0%
Turkmenistan250.0%
Sierra Leone240.0%
Namibia230.0%
China (Hong Kong)220.0%
Paraguay210.0%
Guatemala200.0%
Nicaragua200.0%
Gabon170.0%
Niger170.0%
United Kingdom/British Overseas Territories160.0%
Mozambique160.0%
Guinea-Bissau160.0%
United Arab Emirates150.0%
Zambia110.0%
Mauritania100.0%
Chad100.0%
Burundi100.0%
Djibouti90.0%
Central African Republic90.0%
Panama90.0%
Liechtenstein80.0%
Cape Verde70.0%
Liberia70.0%
Trinidad and Tobago70.0%
Seychelles50.0%
Dominica50.0%
Cambodia50.0%
Botswana40.0%
Barbados40.0%
Qatar40.0%
Kuwait40.0%
Andorra30.0%
Malawi30.0%
Belize30.0%
Haiti30.0%
Bahrain30.0%
Oman30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source18

Alternatives for people set on Cologne

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Bonn as a Cologne alternative in the same region

25 km away, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 890.6 Bonn vs 551.0 Cologne+62%
  • Rent: €9.09/m² (2022) Bonn vs €15.40/m² (2026) Cologneno percentage
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,550 Bonn vs €4,700 Cologneno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 10,481 Bonn vs 12,481 Cologne−16%
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,798 Bonn vs €4,654 Cologne+3%
  • A meal out: €15 Bonn vs €13 Cologne+15%
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.2 µg/m³ Bonn vs 8.6 µg/m³ Cologne−5%
Full comparisonMore about Bonn

Nuremberg as a Cologne alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 337 km, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,428 Nuremberg vs 12,481 Cologne−40%
  • Rent: €8.21/m² (2022) Nuremberg vs €15.40/m² (2026) Cologneno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 5.1 km Nuremberg vs 15.1 km Cologne−66%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,050 Nuremberg vs €4,700 Cologneno percentage
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,241 Nuremberg vs €4,654 Cologne−9%
  • A meal out: €10 Nuremberg vs €13 Cologne−23%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €223 Nuremberg vs €264 Cologne−16%
Full comparisonMore about Nuremberg

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Cologne€2,935this cityStuttgart€3,901+€967Brunswick€3,782+€847Mainz€3,509+€574Mannheim€3,412+€477Kiel€2,869−€66

Nearby is not always better: the greyed row leaves less than Cologne at the same fixed-cost basket. Every alternative publishes the same metric families, each with its own source and date.

Cities near Cologne

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Hürth Commuting Zone · 9.2 km away
Rent
8.51 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Frechen Commuting Zone · 10.3 km away
Rent
7.83 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Pulheim Commuting Zone · 12.8 km away
Rent
8.31 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Wesseling Commuting Zone · 13.6 km away
Rent
7.71 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Niederkassel Commuting Zone · 14.9 km away
Rent
7.56 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Rösrath Commuting Zone · 16.5 km away
Rent
7.76 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Burscheid Commuting Zone · 19.3 km away
Rent
6.64 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Erftstadt Commuting Zone · 19.4 km away
Rent
7.39 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

Other cities in Germany to compare with Cologne, nearest in population first.

All Germany cities
Frankfurt781,337 residentsMunich1,604,731 residentsDusseldorf659,615 residentsHamburg1,862,565 residentsLeipzig633,592 residentsDortmund612,165 residents

How does Cologne compare?

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Open the full comparison

Cologne in rankings

#4 of 30 in Largest cities in Germany #9 of 30 in Highest salary cities in Germany

Put Cologne's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

Is Cologne expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,720 against a median gross salary of €4,654, leaving about €2,935 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.

How many people live in Cologne?

The published population was 1,100,076 people in 2025. Source: Stadt Koeln Statistik.

How much does it cost to rent in Cologne?

Average net cold rent is 15.4 EUR/m² per month (May 2026), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,078 EUR a month before utilities. Source: wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Cologne.

Is the air quality good in Cologne?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted..

How safe is Cologne?

Police recorded 12,343 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte.

What is the typical salary in Cologne?

The median gross salary is about 4,654 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024-12) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Cologne?

The unemployment rate is about 7.1 % (May 2022). Source: Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities.

Is Cologne a good place to live?

Cologne may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Cologne?

Hürth, Frechen, Pulheim, Wesseling, Niederkassel are near Cologne. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Germany live in Cologne?

The official country of birth distribution records 773,045 people (76.0%) in the source-defined population for 2022-05-15. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Cologne, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 9535c76fa23971a4a23f33725cd543c5]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/cologne/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_cologne-germany-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_a5ff7908d7be,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Cologne, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {9535c76fa23971a4a23f33725cd543c5},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/cologne/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Cologne, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/cologne/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 9535c76fa23971a4a23f33725cd543c5; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA), Statistik statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-08-20
  2. Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas) bundes-klinik-atlas.de · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Destatis Gemeindeverzeichnis destatis.de · checked 2026-07-14
  4. Destatis Zensus 2022 — Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen Destatis Zensus 2022 · destatis.de · checked 2026-08-30
  5. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  6. Köln — exact current-export location record Köln · arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-15
  7. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt · kba.de · checked 2026-07-14
  8. Krankenhausverzeichnis 2024 statistikportal.de · checked 2026-09-15
  9. oecd.org place coordinates oecd.org · checked 2026-08-28
  10. Official BAMF-NAvI course-location records — Cologne Official BAMF-NAvI course-location records · bamf-navi.bamf.de · checked 2026-09-15
Show 25 more sources
  1. Official observation retained in staging pending exact entity or grain repair wikidata.org · checked 2026-07-15
  2. Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted. umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-15
  3. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  4. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  5. PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte bka.de · checked 2026-07-16
  6. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  7. Stadt Koeln Statistik stadt-koeln.de · checked 2026-07-14
  8. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  9. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  10. www.vrs.de vrs.de · checked 2026-07-26
  11. Zensus 2022 — Anteil Bevölkerung nach Religionszugehörigkeit Zensus 2022 · destatis.de · checked 2026-09-01
  12. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  13. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  14. Cologne climate table, 1991-2020 normals en.wikipedia.org · checked 2026-07-26
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  21. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  22. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  23. Cost of Living in Cologne. Jul 2026. Prices in Cologne numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  24. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  25. wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Cologne wohnungsboerse.net · checked 2026-06-04

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.