ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data
On this page

Living in Karlsruhe

In Karlsruhe, the median gross salary is €4,793 a month (2025), rents across existing tenancies average €8.46 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 4.9% (2024).

The unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2024. At the end of 2025, Karlsruhe had a population of 301,087.

Last checked 2026-09-2445 sources

Population301,087people31 Dec 2025Official source · Stadt Karlsruhe Statistik und Zensus
Median gross salary4,793EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025
Average net rent8.46EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.81 — 46% aboveOfficial source · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen
Unemployment rate4.9%country median 5.1% — 4% belowOfficial source · Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average
Recorded crime8,175incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 13% belowOfficial source · PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte
PM2.5, annual mean7.21µg/m³country median 8.0 — 10% belowOfficial source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.

Pricier rent than 93% of German cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 70% of German cities that publish it and cleaner air than 74% of German cities that publish it.

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

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 Karlsruhe.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €14.75 per m² per month in May 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Karlsruhe?

Average net cold rent is 8.46 EUR/m² per month (May 2022), 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): 8.46 EUR/m²/month · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen33
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Karlsruhe recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€371
Utilities, 85 m² flat€225
Transport pass€67
Fitness club€37
Internet, 60 Mbps€37
Mobile plan, 10 GB€27

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesKarlsruhe highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Karlsruhe 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, monthly36.96 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited36.6 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly370.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant10.95 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB26.65 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Karlsruhe. Jul 2026. Prices in Karlsruhe43Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass66.67 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home224.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings161,422 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Housing vacancy rate3.21 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)8.46 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.8115 May 2022Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen33Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)Alternative estimate14.75 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Karlsruhe45Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,608 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €4,793, that leaves €3,185 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Karlsruhe salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,608 basket · median gross salary €4,793/month
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 78%€1,254
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 14%€225
  • Transport pass · 4%€67
  • Internet and mobile · 4%€63

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,608 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-09-24).

Is Karlsruhe 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 worker58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–66%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–72%
Student64%strong on education, weak on safety · range 57–71%
Family52%strong on family, weak on cost · range 45–59%
Retirement51%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 42–60%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 508 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 8.46 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 2022

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 508 EUR a month, which is 11% of the published median gross salary of 4,793 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: May 2022

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Karlsruhe?

The median gross salary is about 4,793 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: 4,793 EUR/month · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202525
  • Median gross salary (regional): 4,550 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243

What is the unemployment rate in Karlsruhe?

The unemployment rate is 4.9 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Karlsruhe is 4.9%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability45.32 %31 Dec 2025data.bundesnetzagentur.de8Official
Gigabit broadband availability94.97 %31 Dec 2025Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas7Official
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026Agentur für Arbeit Karlsruhe — official office page1Official
People in employment162,180 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder29Official
Median gross salary4,793 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202525Official
Median gross salary (regional)4,550 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.9 %country median 5.1%31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2Official
Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 2013–2025

Unemployment rate rose 10.4% between 2013 and 2025, from 4.6% to 5.1%.

What does a salary buy in Karlsruhe?

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

Karlsruhe median gross pay: €4,793 (Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,778of €3,017 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.€3,017
Rent, 60 m²€14.75/m² advertised for new lettings (market price · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Karlsruhe · 2026-05-01). Official average for existing leases: €8.46/m² (official · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen · 2022-05-15).− €885
Public transport pass€67 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €67
Utilities, 85 m²€225 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €225
Internet€37 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €37
Mobile plan€27 · market price · Cost of Living in Karlsruhe. Jul 2026. Prices in Karlsruhe · 2026-07-31− €27
Left over€1,778
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Karlsruhe Salary needed to live in Karlsruhe

Public employment offices in Karlsruhe

Agentur für Arbeit Karlsruhe lists 1 public employment office in Karlsruhe (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 providers8 count9 Aug 2026Official accepted language-service location records19Official

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; Karlsruhe's school authority applies it locally.

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents676.5 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)6Official
Hospitals5 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 202418Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Karlsruhe 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 residents676.5 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Karlsruhe?

Police recorded 8,175 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) - Städte24

Recorded crime across major citiesKarlsruhe highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Karlsruhe highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Leipzig11,129
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Stuttgart8,552
Karlsruhe8,175
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,175 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte24Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate8,431 incidents per 100,0002022INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table16Official 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.dat22Official
Nearest airportFKB13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv23Official
Distance to nearest airport34.6 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv23Official

Language courses and integration in Karlsruhe

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

Verified locally
26verified local records
8publicly funded course providers

Internationaler Bund e. V. - Berufsbildungszentrum Karlsruhe

Scheffelstr. 11/17a, 76135 Karlsruhe

View official record
Check courses in KarlsruheHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-09. Showing 3 representative locations from 26 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Karlsruhe

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 2.5°C in January and 20.9°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 55.4 mm in January and 73.7 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 7.21 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Karlsruhe?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 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: 7.21 µg/m³ · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21
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 Karlsruhe is 7.2 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 µg/m³country median 13.72024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
NO₂ — latest reading6.86 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
PM10 — annual mean12.1 µg/m³country median 13.52024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
PM2.5 — annual mean7.21 µg/m³country median 8.02024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 5.4 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 12.1 · Apr 16.8 · May 21.4 · Jun 24.7 · Jul 26.9 · Aug 27 · Sep 21.7 · Oct 15.9 · Nov 9.2 · Dec 5.6 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlsruhe30Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -0.1 · Feb 0.3 · Mar 3.1 · Apr 5.6 · May 10 · Jun 13.3 · Jul 15.3 · Aug 14.9 · Sep 10.9 · Oct 7.4 · Nov 3.1 · Dec 0.6 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlsruhe30Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 2.5 · Feb 3.5 · Mar 7.2 · Apr 11.3 · May 15.4 · Jun 18.9 · Jul 20.9 · Aug 20.4 · Sep 15.8 · Oct 11.1 · Nov 6.3 · Dec 3.3 °C31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature)13Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 55.4 · Feb 51.5 · Mar 51.3 · Apr 43.2 · May 72.6 · Jun 69.3 · Jul 73.7 · Aug 57.5 · Sep 53.1 · Oct 63.1 · Nov 60.9 · Dec 70 mm31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation)11Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 56.1 · Feb 84.1 · Mar 142.4 · Apr 196.2 · May 221.9 · Jun 238.9 · Jul 255.6 · Aug 238.1 · Sep 178.4 · Oct 110.4 · Nov 60 · Dec 42.6 hours31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine)12Official
Annual mean temperature8.9 °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 48.5% between 2014 and 2024, from 14.0 to 7.2.

Similar climate. In Germany: Heidelberg ±0.4 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±1.2 °C, Mulhouse (France) ±0.6 °C, Nancy (France) ±0.8 °C, Metz (France) ±1.0 °C, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France) ±1.2 °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 173.4 km² in 2024.

How many people live in Karlsruhe?

The published population was 301,087 people in 2025. Source: Stadt Karlsruhe Statistik und Zensus26

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents466 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality17Official
City area173.4 km²31 Dec 2024Stadt Karlsruhe Statistik und Zensus26Official
Foreign-resident share20 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat14Official
Foreign residents56,204 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities32Official
Population density1,782 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.20Official
Female residents150,968 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder32Official
Male residents154,439 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder32Official
Population301,087 people31 Dec 2025Stadt Karlsruhe Statistik und Zensus26Official
Population covered by crime statistics309,964 people31 Dec 2024BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time14 published observations, 2012–2025

Population rose 3.1% between 2012 and 2025, from 291,995 to 301,087.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025

Foreign residents rose 14.5% between 2016 and 2025, from 55,478 to 63,522.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents77,429 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Catholic share25.4 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other155,663 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other, share51 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)9Official
Protestant residents72,314 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Protestant share23.7 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official

International community in Karlsruhe

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
Total305,408100.0%
Germany224,25073.4%
Romania8,6692.8%
Poland5,7011.9%
Russian Federation5,5801.8%
Turkey5,4181.8%
Kazakhstan4,0041.3%
Ukraine3,9731.3%
Italy3,0841.0%
Croatia2,5330.8%
China2,4340.8%
Show 158 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Bosnia and Herzegovina1,9380.6%
France1,8250.6%
Serbia1,7410.6%
India1,7160.6%
Czech Republic1,6860.6%
Syrian Arab Republic1,5160.5%
Bulgaria1,2950.4%
Spain1,1980.4%
Hungary1,1860.4%
Iran, Islamic Republic of1,0840.4%
United States9800.3%
Greece9130.3%
Kosovo8790.3%
Austria8780.3%
Iraq8500.3%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of8390.3%
Viet Nam6380.2%
Brazil6230.2%
Morocco6200.2%
Switzerland5770.2%
Pakistan5740.2%
Tunisia5680.2%
Afghanistan5640.2%
Moldova, Republic of5330.2%
Thailand5220.2%
United Kingdom5020.2%
Uzbekistan4920.2%
Portugal4230.1%
Not stated4200.1%
Georgia4190.1%
Cameroon4120.1%
Albania4050.1%
Korea, Republic of3510.1%
Egypt3360.1%
Kyrgyzstan3340.1%
Lithuania3330.1%
Mexico3250.1%
Eritrea3210.1%
Tajikistan3170.1%
Colombia3090.1%
Philippines2970.1%
Algeria2820.1%
Lebanon2520.1%
Netherlands2490.1%
Somalia2490.1%
Slovakia2410.1%
Nigeria2400.1%
Belarus2390.1%
Japan2350.1%
Indonesia2270.1%
Argentina2190.1%
Sri Lanka2120.1%
Luxembourg2080.1%
Slovenia2000.1%
Peru1970.1%
Latvia1870.1%
Ethiopia1770.1%
Chile1770.1%
Ecuador1680.1%
Belgium1620.1%
Ghana1590.1%
Gambia1490.0%
Azerbaijan1440.0%
Taiwan, Province of China1440.0%
Canada1430.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of1360.0%
South Africa1190.0%
Australia1170.0%
Bangladesh1080.0%
Estonia1060.0%
Israel1060.0%
Kenya1030.0%
Cuba1020.0%
Montenegro980.0%
Sweden970.0%
Togo950.0%
Ireland910.0%
Madagascar860.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of860.0%
Nepal760.0%
Malaysia730.0%
Jordan700.0%
Denmark660.0%
Finland660.0%
Dominican Republic660.0%
Armenia660.0%
Saudi Arabia640.0%
United Arab Emirates520.0%
Norway490.0%
Angola400.0%
Senegal400.0%
Turkmenistan400.0%
Palestinian territories390.0%
Paraguay370.0%
Mongolia350.0%
Guatemala330.0%
Singapore330.0%
Guinea320.0%
Libya310.0%
Sudan310.0%
Yemen310.0%
Uruguay300.0%
Zimbabwe290.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic260.0%
Cyprus250.0%
Costa Rica250.0%
Côte D'Ivoire240.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the240.0%
Honduras240.0%
Kuwait230.0%
Benin210.0%
Uganda210.0%
El Salvador210.0%
Burkina Faso200.0%
Namibia200.0%
New Zealand200.0%
Sierra Leone170.0%
Mali160.0%
Mauritius150.0%
Mozambique150.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of140.0%
Haiti140.0%
Iceland130.0%
Congo120.0%
Jamaica120.0%
Cambodia120.0%
Rwanda110.0%
Chad110.0%
Nicaragua110.0%
Zambia100.0%
Panama90.0%
Fiji90.0%
Malta80.0%
Bahrain80.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of60.0%
Liberia50.0%
Niger50.0%
Seychelles50.0%
South Sudan50.0%
Qatar50.0%
Oman50.0%
Mauritania40.0%
Cape Verde40.0%
Trinidad and Tobago40.0%
Myanmar40.0%
Gabon30.0%
Malawi30.0%
Equatorial Guinea30.0%
Central African Republic30.0%
Burundi30.0%
Barbados30.0%
Guyana30.0%
Dominica30.0%
Grenada30.0%
Saint Lucia30.0%
Bhutan30.0%
Brunei Darussalam30.0%
Micronesia, Federated States of30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source28

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total305,408100.0%
Germany249,20381.6%
Romania5,6281.8%
Turkey5,2541.7%
Italy4,2311.4%
Croatia3,3891.1%
Ukraine3,1191.0%
Poland2,5890.8%
China2,2900.7%
Russian Federation1,6340.5%
India1,5710.5%
Show 143 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
France1,5520.5%
Syrian Arab Republic1,3930.5%
Spain1,3730.4%
Bulgaria1,3140.4%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1,1890.4%
Greece1,0670.3%
Serbia1,0080.3%
Hungary9370.3%
Kosovo8310.3%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of6850.2%
Austria6390.2%
United States6320.2%
Iraq5710.2%
Iran, Islamic Republic of5550.2%
Portugal5170.2%
Afghanistan4870.2%
Pakistan4720.2%
Viet Nam4630.2%
Thailand3920.1%
Tunisia3910.1%
Albania3570.1%
Brazil3330.1%
Morocco3240.1%
Korea, Republic of3200.1%
Cameroon2970.1%
Georgia2870.1%
Lithuania2860.1%
United Kingdom2860.1%
Egypt2730.1%
Netherlands2670.1%
Somalia2320.1%
Mexico2220.1%
Uncertain2200.1%
Nigeria2150.1%
Eritrea2080.1%
Luxembourg2050.1%
Colombia2050.1%
Switzerland1980.1%
Japan1920.1%
Slovakia1860.1%
Czech Republic1790.1%
Indonesia1720.1%
Moldova, Republic of1710.1%
Kazakhstan1710.1%
Philippines1610.1%
Belarus1460.0%
Algeria1460.0%
Gambia1460.0%
Latvia1410.0%
Sri Lanka1200.0%
Lebanon1200.0%
Ghana1180.0%
Peru1150.0%
Uzbekistan1140.0%
Canada1130.0%
Taiwan, Province of China1110.0%
Belgium1030.0%
Ecuador990.0%
Australia990.0%
Slovenia970.0%
Montenegro940.0%
Israel930.0%
Chile920.0%
Ireland890.0%
Azerbaijan890.0%
Argentina860.0%
Bangladesh790.0%
Madagascar740.0%
Togo680.0%
Kenya650.0%
Ethiopia640.0%
Sweden630.0%
Jordan630.0%
Kyrgyzstan630.0%
Malaysia610.0%
Nepal560.0%
Estonia550.0%
Finland530.0%
Cuba520.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of480.0%
Denmark460.0%
Norway400.0%
Stateless370.0%
Armenia360.0%
Palestinian territories340.0%
Senegal330.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of310.0%
Mongolia310.0%
South Africa270.0%
Zimbabwe250.0%
Dominican Republic250.0%
Sudan240.0%
Tajikistan240.0%
Not stated230.0%
Guinea220.0%
Turkmenistan200.0%
Iceland180.0%
Angola180.0%
Costa Rica170.0%
El Salvador170.0%
New Zealand170.0%
Sierra Leone160.0%
Singapore160.0%
Cyprus150.0%
Benin150.0%
Côte D'Ivoire130.0%
Libya130.0%
Honduras130.0%
Saudi Arabia120.0%
Burkina Faso110.0%
Congo100.0%
Mauritius100.0%
Uganda100.0%
Mozambique90.0%
Guatemala90.0%
China (Hong Kong)90.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the80.0%
Paraguay80.0%
Zambia70.0%
Nicaragua70.0%
Panama70.0%
Myanmar70.0%
Mali60.0%
Rwanda60.0%
Yemen60.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic60.0%
Jamaica50.0%
Liberia40.0%
Haiti40.0%
Uruguay40.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of40.0%
Malta30.0%
Gabon30.0%
Mauritania30.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Guinea-Bissau30.0%
Namibia30.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of30.0%
Chad30.0%
Barbados30.0%
Saint Lucia30.0%
Bhutan30.0%
Cambodia30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes29.08 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Labour force171,300 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder29Official
Local business-tax multiplier450 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de31Official
Local property-tax multiplier490 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de31Official

Alternatives for people set on Karlsruhe

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.

Pforzheim as a Karlsruhe alternative in the same region

26 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.

  • Rent: €7.36/m² Pforzheim vs €8.46/m² Karlsruheno percentage
  • Foreign residents: 30.6% Pforzheim vs 20.0% Karlsruhe+53%
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 924.5 Pforzheim vs 676.5 Karlsruhe+37%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,800 Pforzheim vs €4,550 Karlsruheno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,371 Pforzheim vs 8,175 Karlsruhe−10%
  • Nearest airport: 44.1 km Pforzheim vs 34.6 km Karlsruhe+27%
  • Annual PM2.5: 6.7 µg/m³ Pforzheim vs 7.2 µg/m³ Karlsruhe−7%
Full comparisonMore about Pforzheim

Valencia as a Karlsruhe alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1269 km, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €8.20/m² (2024) Valencia vs €8.46/m² (2022) Karlsruheno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 9.2 km Valencia vs 34.6 km Karlsruhe−73%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,888 Valencia vs €4,550 Karlsruheno percentage
  • Foreign residents: 15.7% Valencia vs 20.0% Karlsruhe−22%
Full comparisonMore about Valencia

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Karlsruhe€3,185this cityStuttgart€3,901+€717Brunswick€3,782+€597Mainz€3,509+€324Mannheim€3,412+€227Essen€3,172−€13

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

Cities near Karlsruhe

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

Stutensee Commuting Zone · 7.5 km away
Rent
7.87 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Ettlingen Commuting Zone · 9.3 km away
Rent
7.89 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Rheinstetten Commuting Zone · 10.2 km away
Rent
7.75 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Wörth am Rhein Commuting Zone · 10.9 km away
Rent
7.27 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Hagenbach Commuting Zone · 11.1 km away
Rent
7.03 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Kandel Commuting Zone · 16.6 km away
Rent
7.14 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Bruchsal Commuting Zone · 19.5 km away
Rent
7.48 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Bad Herrenalb Commuting Zone · 24.2 km away
Rent
6.91 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

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

All Germany cities
Wiesbaden300,089 residentsAugsburg308,407 residentsMünster319,295 residentsMönchengladbach277,662 residentsMannheim329,998 residentsGelsenkirchen270,934 residents

How does Karlsruhe compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Karlsruhe's.

Open the full comparison

Karlsruhe in rankings

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

Put Karlsruhe'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 Karlsruhe expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,608 against a median gross salary of €4,793, leaving about €3,185 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 Karlsruhe?

The published population was 301,087 people in 2025. Source: Stadt Karlsruhe Statistik und Zensus.

How much does it cost to rent in Karlsruhe?

Average net cold rent is 8.46 EUR/m² per month (May 2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 592 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen.

Is the air quality good in Karlsruhe?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 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 Karlsruhe?

Police recorded 8,175 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 Karlsruhe?

The median gross salary is about 4,793 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 Karlsruhe?

The unemployment rate is 4.9 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

Is Karlsruhe a good place to live?

Karlsruhe 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 Karlsruhe?

Stutensee, Ettlingen, Rheinstetten, Wörth am Rhein, Hagenbach are near Karlsruhe. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Germany live in Karlsruhe?

The official country of birth distribution records 224,250 people (73.4%) 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). Karlsruhe, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 11480ac8bd86ef8843c22319aa79b3e9]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/karlsruhe/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_karlsruhe-germany-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_89a60adefb54,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Karlsruhe, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {11480ac8bd86ef8843c22319aa79b3e9},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/karlsruhe/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Karlsruhe, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/karlsruhe/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 11480ac8bd86ef8843c22319aa79b3e9; 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 Karlsruhe — official office page Agentur für Arbeit Karlsruhe · 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 35 more sources
  1. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  2. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  3. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  4. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  5. 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
  6. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  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. Official accepted language-service location records bamf-navi.bamf.de · checked 2026-09-15
  10. Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row. destatis.de · checked 2024-12-31
  11. Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted. umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-15
  12. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  13. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  14. PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte bka.de · checked 2026-07-16
  15. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  16. Stadt Karlsruhe Statistik und Zensus karlsruhe.de · checked 2026-07-14
  17. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  18. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  19. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  20. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlsruhe WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  21. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  22. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  23. Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen destatis.de · checked 2026-09-17
  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. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  32. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  33. Cost of Living in Karlsruhe. Jul 2026. Prices in Karlsruhe numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  34. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  35. wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Karlsruhe 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.