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Living in Dresden

In Dresden, the median gross salary is €4,163 a month (2025), the official rent index for existing tenancies is €7.20 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 6.5% (2024).

For Dresden, the unemployment rate was 6.5% in 2024. The population of Dresden, in Germany, was 571,510 at the end of 2025.

Last checked 2026-09-2443 sources

Population571,510people31 Dec 2025Official source · Landeshauptstadt Dresden Statistik
Median gross salary4,163EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025
Average net rent7.2EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.81 — 24% aboveOfficial source · Landeshauptstadt Dresden — Sozialamt, Sozialplanung — Dresdner Mietspiegel 2025
Unemployment rate6.5%country median 5.1% — 27% aboveOfficial source · Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average
Recorded crime8,853incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 6% belowOfficial source · PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte
PM2.5, annual mean10.07µg/m³country median 8.0 — 26% aboveOfficial source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.

Pricier rent than 81% of German cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 79% of German cities that publish it and dirtier air than 96% of German cities that publish it.

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

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 Dresden.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €7.2 per m² per month at the start of 2025.

How much does it cost to rent in Dresden?

Average net cold rent is 7.2 EUR/m² per month (January 2025), 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): 7.2 EUR/m²/month · Landeshauptstadt Dresden — Sozialamt, Sozialplanung — Dresdner Mietspiegel 202516
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Dresden recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€334
Private kindergarten€229
Transport pass€93
Internet, 60 Mbps€36
Fitness club€30
Mobile plan, 10 GB€18

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 citiesDresden highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Dresden highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Munich€15.38
Hamburg€9.94
Stuttgart€9.72
Dresden€7.20
Leipzig€6.27
Dortmund€6.00
Show the other 6 cities
Augsburg€9.10
Mannheim€9.09
Berlin€7.71
Brunswick€6.79
Bielefeld€6.72
Duisburg€6.66
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly30.29 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table43Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited36.35 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table43Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly228.6 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant15 EUR26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table43Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB18.15 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table43Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass92.9 EUR/month26 Jul 2026www.dvb.de29Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home333.8 EUR/month26 Jul 2026Numbeo city cost table43Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings319,553 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Housing vacancy rate3.96 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.2 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.811 Jan 2025Landeshauptstadt Dresden — Sozialamt, Sozialplanung — Dresdner Mietspiegel 202516Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)Alternative estimate9 EUR/m²/month2024BBSR INKAR — advertised asking rent for re-let flats (indicator 2113)13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,093 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €4,163, that leaves €3,070 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Dresden salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,093 basket · median gross salary €4,163/month
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 56%€612
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 31%€334
  • Transport pass · 8%€93
  • Internet and mobile · 5%€55

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,093 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-09-24).

Is Dresden 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 worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–62%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%
Student66%strong on education, weak on safety · range 59–73%
Family53%strong on education, 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 432 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.2 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: January 2025

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 432 EUR a month, which is 10% of the published median gross salary of 4,163 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: January 2025

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Dresden?

The median gross salary is about 4,163 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

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

  • Median gross salary: 4,163 EUR/month · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202524
  • Median gross salary (regional): 3,950 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243

What is the unemployment rate in Dresden?

The unemployment rate is 6.5 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Dresden is 6.5%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability32.93 %31 Dec 2025data.bundesnetzagentur.de8Official
Gigabit broadband availability86.73 %31 Dec 2025Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas7Official
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026Agentur für Arbeit Dresden — official office page1Official
People in employment259,270 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder28Official
Median gross salary4,163 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202524Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,950 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243Official · regional context
Unemployment rate6.5 %country median 5.1%31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2Official
Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 2015–2025

Unemployment rate rose 13.3% between 2015 and 2025, from 6.2% to 7.0%.

What does a salary buy in Dresden?

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

Dresden median gross pay: €4,163 (Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,666of €2,687 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.€2,687
Rent, 60 m²€9.00/m² advertised for new lettings (market price · INKAR · 2024). Official average for existing leases: €7.20/m² (official · Landeshauptstadt Dresden · 2025-01-01).− €540
Public transport pass€93 · official · dvb.de · 2026-07-26− €93
Utilities, 85 m²€334 · market price · Numbeo city cost table · 2026-07-26− €334
Internet€36 · market price · Numbeo city cost table · 2026-07-26− €36
Mobile plan€18 · market price · Numbeo city cost table · 2026-07-26− €18
Left over€1,666
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Dresden Salary needed to live in Dresden

Public employment offices in Dresden

Agentur für Arbeit Dresden lists 1 public employment office in Dresden (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 providers21 count9 Aug 2026Official accepted language-service location records18Official

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; Dresden's school authority applies it locally.

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents546.8 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)6Official
Hospitals8 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 202415Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Dresden 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 residents546.8 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Dresden?

Police recorded 8,853 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) - Städte23

Recorded crime across major citiesDresden highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Dresden 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 residents8,853 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte23Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate8,415 incidents per 100,0002022INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure
Months covered by crime statistics12 months/year31 Dec 2025BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle5Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport18 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat21Official
Nearest airportDRS13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv22Official
Distance to nearest airport9.6 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv22Official

Language courses and integration in Dresden

34 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally
34verified local records
21publicly funded course providers
Check courses in DresdenHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-09. Showing 3 representative locations from 34 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Dresden

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 0.6°C in January and 19.4°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 42 mm in January and 84 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 10.1 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Dresden?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.1 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: 10.07 µg/m³ · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.20
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 Dresden is 10.1 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 mean18.32 µg/m³country median 13.72024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.20Official
NO₂ — latest reading9.39 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.20Official
PM10 — annual mean15.39 µg/m³country median 13.52024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.20Official
PM2.5 — annual mean10.07 µg/m³country median 8.02024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.20Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 3 · Feb 4.5 · Mar 8.5 · Apr 14.3 · May 18.8 · Jun 22.2 · Jul 24.5 · Aug 24.2 · Sep 19.1 · Oct 13.5 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 4.1 °C31 Dec 1991Dresden climate table, 1991-2020 normals41Independent
Average night-time low by monthJan -2 · Feb -1.5 · Mar 1.1 · Apr 4.8 · May 8.9 · Jun 12.3 · Jul 14.3 · Aug 14.1 · Sep 10.4 · Oct 6.5 · Nov 2.4 · Dec -0.7 °C31 Dec 1991Dresden climate table, 1991-2020 normals41Independent
Average temperature by monthJan 0.6 · Feb 1.5 · Mar 4.7 · Apr 9.7 · May 14 · Jun 17.3 · Jul 19.4 · Aug 19.1 · Sep 14.6 · Oct 9.8 · Nov 5 · Dec 1.7 °C31 Dec 1991Dresden climate table, 1991-2020 normals41Independent
Average precipitation by monthJan 42 · Feb 33 · Mar 42 · Apr 36 · May 63 · Jun 63 · Jul 84 · Aug 80 · Sep 52 · Oct 50 · Nov 48 · Dec 44 mm31 Dec 1991Dresden climate table, 1991-2020 normals41Independent
Average sunshine by monthJan 62 · Feb 82 · Mar 127 · Apr 187 · May 222 · Jun 221 · Jul 234 · Aug 223 · Sep 164 · Oct 120 · Nov 68 · Dec 60 hours31 Dec 1991Dresden climate table, 1991-2020 normals41Independent
Annual mean temperature8.5 °C31 Dec 2020DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster)10Official · land
Annual PM2.5 over time9 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 40.8% between 2014 and 2024, from 17.0 to 10.1.

Similar climate. In Germany: Berlin ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Gentofte (Denmark) ±1.0 °C, Lyngby-Taarbæk (Denmark) ±1.0 °C, Rudersdal (Denmark) ±1.0 °C, Gorzów Wielkopolski (Poland) ±0.4 °C, Reims (France) ±1.7 °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 328.3 km² in 2025. Population density was 1,719.8 people per km² in 2024.

How many people live in Dresden?

The published population was 571,510 people in 2025. Source: Landeshauptstadt Dresden Statistik17

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents402 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality14Official
City area328.3 km²31 Dec 2025Landeshauptstadt Dresden Statistik17Official
Foreign-resident share11 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat11Official
Foreign residents51,915 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities31Official
Population density1,720 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.19Official
Female residents282,065 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder31Official
Male residents275,718 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder31Official
Population571,510 people31 Dec 2025Landeshauptstadt Dresden Statistik17Official
Population covered by crime statistics564,904 people31 Dec 2025BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time14 published observations, 2012–2025

Population rose 10.4% between 2012 and 2025, from 517,765 to 571,510.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025

Foreign residents rose 113.0% between 2016 and 2025, from 31,052 to 66,135.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents23,906 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Catholic share4.3 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other462,808 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other, share83 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)9Official
Protestant residents71,070 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Protestant share12.7 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official

International community in Dresden

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
Total557,782100.0%
Germany492,62588.3%
Ukraine6,7141.2%
Russian Federation5,7421.0%
Syrian Arab Republic5,2991.0%
Poland4,6010.8%
Czech Republic2,9230.5%
China2,6500.5%
India1,9800.4%
Kazakhstan1,9300.3%
Afghanistan1,8180.3%
Show 144 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Viet Nam1,6880.3%
Turkey1,3310.2%
Hungary1,2810.2%
Iraq1,2600.2%
Romania1,2050.2%
Bulgaria1,1440.2%
Iran, Islamic Republic of1,1020.2%
Moldova, Republic of1,0030.2%
Italy9680.2%
United States8130.1%
Slovakia8090.1%
France6120.1%
Austria6080.1%
Pakistan6000.1%
Spain5850.1%
United Kingdom5140.1%
Libya5140.1%
Albania5030.1%
Korea, Republic of4970.1%
Lebanon4870.1%
Brazil4850.1%
Greece4770.1%
Eritrea4610.1%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of4590.1%
Serbia4480.1%
Georgia4430.1%
Portugal4260.1%
Tunisia4120.1%
Switzerland3940.1%
Not stated3830.1%
Uzbekistan3580.1%
Egypt3330.1%
Belarus3300.1%
Colombia2760.0%
Croatia2710.0%
Morocco2580.0%
Lithuania2570.0%
Algeria2570.0%
Japan2540.0%
Kosovo2330.0%
Mexico2330.0%
Somalia2250.0%
Thailand2230.0%
Cuba2190.0%
Latvia2160.0%
Netherlands2050.0%
Indonesia2000.0%
Bangladesh1950.0%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1810.0%
Chile1800.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1780.0%
Argentina1780.0%
Azerbaijan1780.0%
Kyrgyzstan1770.0%
Taiwan, Province of China1690.0%
Philippines1490.0%
Palestinian territories1450.0%
Canada1380.0%
Peru1350.0%
South Africa1260.0%
Armenia1160.0%
Nigeria1150.0%
Belgium1050.0%
Ethiopia1050.0%
Israel1050.0%
Finland1030.0%
Cameroon990.0%
Jordan940.0%
Saudi Arabia940.0%
Sweden900.0%
Tajikistan900.0%
Australia850.0%
Mozambique700.0%
United Arab Emirates700.0%
Kenya680.0%
Slovenia650.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of640.0%
Nepal640.0%
Estonia630.0%
Ghana630.0%
Ecuador620.0%
Malaysia600.0%
Mongolia580.0%
Ireland560.0%
Yemen540.0%
Angola500.0%
Kuwait470.0%
Norway460.0%
Turkmenistan440.0%
Denmark430.0%
Sudan430.0%
Dominican Republic430.0%
Namibia410.0%
Luxembourg370.0%
Costa Rica370.0%
Montenegro360.0%
Nicaragua350.0%
Singapore350.0%
New Zealand340.0%
Myanmar290.0%
Guinea280.0%
Zimbabwe260.0%
Guatemala240.0%
Gambia230.0%
Honduras220.0%
Sri Lanka220.0%
Benin210.0%
Senegal200.0%
Cyprus190.0%
El Salvador180.0%
Panama170.0%
Sierra Leone160.0%
Congo150.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of130.0%
Uganda130.0%
Cambodia130.0%
Mauritius120.0%
Uruguay110.0%
Qatar110.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic110.0%
Côte D'Ivoire100.0%
Madagascar100.0%
Rwanda100.0%
Malta90.0%
Togo90.0%
Burkina Faso70.0%
Bahrain70.0%
Iceland50.0%
Jamaica50.0%
Oman50.0%
Mauritania40.0%
Malawi40.0%
Chad40.0%
Paraguay40.0%
Tonga40.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the30.0%
Liberia30.0%
Mali30.0%
Zambia30.0%
Central African Republic30.0%
Burundi30.0%
Guyana30.0%
Haiti30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source26

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total557,782100.0%
Germany505,86890.7%
Ukraine5,4901.0%
Syrian Arab Republic5,1380.9%
Russian Federation2,6520.5%
China2,6220.5%
Poland2,2110.4%
Afghanistan2,1170.4%
India1,9260.3%
Romania1,7070.3%
Viet Nam1,5690.3%
Show 143 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Czech Republic1,5230.3%
Uncertain1,4080.3%
Turkey1,2790.2%
Iraq1,2630.2%
Italy1,1100.2%
Bulgaria1,0310.2%
Hungary8540.2%
Iran, Islamic Republic of8530.2%
Slovakia8070.1%
Greece6250.1%
Spain6240.1%
Eritrea5760.1%
Pakistan5670.1%
United States5510.1%
Libya5140.1%
Portugal5070.1%
France5010.1%
Korea, Republic of5010.1%
Austria4800.1%
Serbia4240.1%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of4090.1%
Albania3950.1%
Tunisia3940.1%
Palestinian territories3570.1%
Egypt3360.1%
Croatia3280.1%
Brazil3210.1%
Lebanon3150.1%
Georgia2950.1%
Kosovo2610.0%
Belarus2550.0%
Somalia2510.0%
United Kingdom2430.0%
Moldova, Republic of2370.0%
Japan2350.0%
Morocco2190.0%
Kazakhstan2150.0%
Colombia2030.0%
Indonesia1950.0%
Algeria1930.0%
Netherlands1880.0%
Bangladesh1870.0%
Lithuania1810.0%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1760.0%
Mexico1570.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1560.0%
Thailand1560.0%
Taiwan, Province of China1490.0%
Switzerland1430.0%
Chile1350.0%
Latvia1330.0%
Stateless1270.0%
Philippines1200.0%
Azerbaijan1160.0%
Cuba1150.0%
Canada1040.0%
Nigeria1020.0%
Israel1020.0%
Uzbekistan1020.0%
Cameroon910.0%
Finland800.0%
Argentina800.0%
Jordan800.0%
Peru780.0%
Ireland770.0%
Armenia770.0%
Belgium710.0%
Nepal640.0%
Ethiopia610.0%
Kyrgyzstan610.0%
Sweden570.0%
Ghana570.0%
Estonia530.0%
Kenya520.0%
Australia500.0%
Montenegro490.0%
Mongolia460.0%
South Africa420.0%
Malaysia420.0%
Mozambique410.0%
Ecuador390.0%
Yemen390.0%
Not stated360.0%
Slovenia350.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of350.0%
Tajikistan320.0%
Singapore300.0%
Angola280.0%
Myanmar280.0%
Guinea260.0%
Denmark240.0%
Luxembourg240.0%
Sudan240.0%
Dominican Republic240.0%
Norway230.0%
Sri Lanka200.0%
Saudi Arabia200.0%
Cyprus180.0%
Costa Rica180.0%
Zimbabwe170.0%
Honduras170.0%
Benin160.0%
Gambia160.0%
New Zealand160.0%
Senegal150.0%
El Salvador150.0%
Nicaragua150.0%
Sierra Leone140.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of140.0%
Panama130.0%
Guatemala120.0%
Rwanda110.0%
Uganda110.0%
China (Hong Kong)110.0%
Mauritius100.0%
Namibia100.0%
Togo100.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic90.0%
Cambodia80.0%
Turkmenistan80.0%
Côte D'Ivoire70.0%
Burkina Faso70.0%
Madagascar60.0%
Uruguay50.0%
Iceland30.0%
Malta30.0%
United Kingdom/British Overseas Territories30.0%
Mauritania30.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Congo30.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the30.0%
Liberia30.0%
Mali30.0%
Zambia30.0%
Guinea-Bissau30.0%
Central African Republic30.0%
Burundi30.0%
Guyana30.0%
Haiti30.0%
Jamaica30.0%
Paraguay30.0%
Bahrain30.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source25

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes16.75 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Labour force274,430 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder28Official
Local business-tax multiplier450 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de30Official
Local property-tax multiplier635 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de30Official

Alternatives for people set on Dresden

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.

Radebeul as a Dresden alternative in the same region

8 km away, better on 3 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €6.63/m² (2022) Radebeul vs €7.20/m² (2025) Dresdenno percentage
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,400 Radebeul vs €3,950 Dresdenno percentage
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 685.3 Radebeul vs 546.8 Dresden+25%
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.1 µg/m³ Radebeul vs 10.1 µg/m³ Dresden−20%
  • Nearest airport: 7.6 km Radebeul vs 9.6 km Dresden−21%
Full comparisonMore about Radebeul

Nuremberg as a Dresden alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 259 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

  • Foreign residents: 25.7% Nuremberg vs 11.0% Dresden+134%
  • Rent: €8.21/m² (2022) Nuremberg vs €7.20/m² (2025) Dresdenno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 5.1 km Nuremberg vs 9.6 km Dresden−47%
  • Empty flats: 3.1% Nuremberg vs 4.0% Dresden−21%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,428 Nuremberg vs 8,415 Dresden−12%
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.4 µg/m³ Nuremberg vs 10.1 µg/m³ Dresden−17%
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 594.1 Nuremberg vs 546.8 Dresden+9%
Full comparisonMore about Nuremberg

Valencia as a Dresden alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1691 km, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €8.20/m² (2024) Valencia vs €7.20/m² (2025) Dresdenno percentage
  • Foreign residents: 15.7% Valencia vs 11.0% Dresden+43%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,888 Valencia vs €3,950 Dresdenno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 9.2 km Valencia vs 9.6 km Dresden−4%
Full comparisonMore about Valencia

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Dresden€3,070this cityStuttgart€3,901+€832Brunswick€3,782+€712Mainz€3,509+€439Mannheim€3,412+€342Berlin€3,065−€4

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

Cities near Dresden

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

Freital Commuting Zone · 7.2 km away
Rent
5.54 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Radebeul Commuting Zone · 7.7 km away
Rent
6.63 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Tharandt Commuting Zone · 13.2 km away
Rent
6.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Dohna Commuting Zone · 13.4 km away
Rent
5.55 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

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

All Germany cities
Hanover558,767 residentsBremen586,603 residentsNuremberg547,913 residentsEssen596,710 residentsStuttgart605,663 residentsDortmund612,165 residents

How does Dresden compare?

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Open the full comparison

Dresden in rankings

#12 of 30 in Largest cities in Germany #23 of 30 in Highest salary cities in Germany

Put Dresden'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 Dresden expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,093 against a median gross salary of €4,163, leaving about €3,070 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 Dresden?

The published population was 571,510 people in 2025. Source: Landeshauptstadt Dresden Statistik.

How much does it cost to rent in Dresden?

Average net cold rent is 7.2 EUR/m² per month (January 2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 504 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Landeshauptstadt Dresden — Sozialamt, Sozialplanung — Dresdner Mietspiegel 2025.

Is the air quality good in Dresden?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.1 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 Dresden?

Police recorded 8,853 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 Dresden?

The median gross salary is about 4,163 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) 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 Dresden?

The unemployment rate is 6.5 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

Is Dresden a good place to live?

Dresden 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 Dresden?

Löbtau, Mickten, Gorbitz, Freital, Radebeul are near Dresden. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Germany live in Dresden?

The official country of birth distribution records 492,625 people (88.3%) 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). Dresden, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 9af8214aaae99463cd5b4eab7ebd6fb5]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/dresden/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_dresden-germany-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_e894a875f2ac,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Dresden, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {9af8214aaae99463cd5b4eab7ebd6fb5},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/dresden/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Dresden, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/dresden/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 9af8214aaae99463cd5b4eab7ebd6fb5; 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. Agentur für Arbeit Dresden — official office page Agentur für Arbeit Dresden · arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-15
  2. Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average Arbeitslosenquoten · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-26
  3. BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 2024 BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-29
  4. BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt) bka.de · checked 2026-09-05
  5. BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle polizei.de · checked 2026-09-05
  6. Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas) bundes-klinik-atlas.de · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV · gigabitgrundbuch.bund.de · checked 2026-07-14
  8. data.bundesnetzagentur.de data.bundesnetzagentur.de · checked 2026-08-08
  9. Destatis destatis.de · checked 2026-08-08
  10. DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster) DWD Climate Data Center · opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-06-05
Show 33 more sources
  1. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  2. GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
  3. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  4. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt · kba.de · checked 2026-07-14
  5. Krankenhausverzeichnis 2024 statistikportal.de · checked 2026-09-19
  6. Landeshauptstadt Dresden — Sozialamt, Sozialplanung — Dresdner Mietspiegel 2025 Landeshauptstadt Dresden · dresden.de · checked 2026-07-14
  7. Landeshauptstadt Dresden Statistik dresden.de · checked 2026-07-14
  8. Official accepted language-service location records bamf-navi.bamf.de · checked 2026-09-15
  9. Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row. destatis.de · checked 2024-12-31
  10. Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted. umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-15
  11. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  12. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  13. PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte bka.de · checked 2026-07-16
  14. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  15. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  16. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  17. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  18. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  19. www.dvb.de dvb.de · checked 2026-07-26
  20. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  21. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  22. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  23. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  24. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  25. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  26. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  27. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  28. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  29. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  30. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  31. Dresden climate table, 1991-2020 normals en.wikipedia.org · checked 2026-07-26
  32. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  33. Numbeo city cost table de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26

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.