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Living in Kiel

In Kiel, the median gross salary is €4,161 a month (2025), rents across existing tenancies average €7.64 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 7.9% (2024).

The city covered 120 km² in 2023. Kiel, a city in Germany, had a population of 251,379 at the end of 2024. For Kiel, monthly mean temperatures were 2.1°C in January and 17.7°C in July.

Last checked 2026-09-2443 sources

Population251,379people31 Dec 2024Official source · Landeshauptstadt Kiel Kieler Zahlen
Median gross salary4,161EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025
Average net rent7.64EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.81 — 31% aboveOfficial source · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen
Unemployment rate7.9%country median 5.1% — 55% aboveOfficial source · Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average
Recorded crime11,302incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 20% aboveOfficial source · PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte
PM2.5, annual mean6.85µg/m³country median 8.0 — 14% belowOfficial source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.

Pricier rent than 87% of German cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 91% of German cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 69% of German cities that publish it.

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

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 Kiel.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €11.39 per m² per month in May 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Kiel?

Average net cold rent is 7.64 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): 7.64 EUR/m²/month · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen34
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Kiel recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€288
Utilities, 85 m² flat€212
Transport pass€61
Internet, 60 Mbps€31
Fitness club€28
Mobile plan, 10 GB€20

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesKiel highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Kiel 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, monthly28.19 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited30.84 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly287.6 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant10.75 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB20.33 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Kiel. Jun 2026. Prices in Kiel41Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass60.71 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home212.3 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v242Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings138,600 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Housing vacancy rate2.08 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.64 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.8115 May 2022Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen34Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)Alternative estimate11.39 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Kiel43Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,292 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €4,161, that leaves €2,869 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Kiel salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,292 basket · median gross salary €4,161/month
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 75%€968
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 16%€212
  • Transport pass · 5%€61
  • Internet and mobile · 4%€51

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,292 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-09-24).

Is Kiel 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 worker52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–60%
Skilled employee62%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–70%
Student62%strong on education, weak on safety · range 55–69%
Family49%strong on family, weak on cost · range 42–56%
Retirement46%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 37–55%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 458 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.64 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 458 EUR a month, which is 11% of the published median gross salary of 4,161 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: May 2022

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 7.9% in 2024.

What is the typical salary in Kiel?

The median gross salary is about 4,161 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: 4,161 EUR/month · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202527
  • Median gross salary (regional): 3,900 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243

What is the unemployment rate in Kiel?

The unemployment rate is 7.9 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Kiel is 7.9%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability80.63 %31 Dec 2025data.bundesnetzagentur.de8Official
Gigabit broadband availability97.88 %31 Dec 2025Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas7Official
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026Agentur für Arbeit Kiel — official office page1Official
People in employment128,800 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder30Official
Median gross salary4,161 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202527Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,900 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243Official · regional context
Unemployment rate7.9 %country median 5.1%31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2Official
Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 2014–2025

Unemployment rate rose 13.9% between 2014 and 2025, from 7.1% to 8.1%.

What does a salary buy in Kiel?

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

Kiel median gross pay: €4,161 (Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,680of €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€11.39/m² advertised for new lettings (market price · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Kiel · 2026-05-01). Official average for existing leases: €7.64/m² (official · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen · 2022-05-15).− €683
Public transport pass€61 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €61
Utilities, 85 m²€212 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €212
Internet€31 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €31
Mobile plan€20 · market price · Cost of Living in Kiel. Jun 2026. Prices in Kiel · 2026-07-31− €20
Left over€1,680
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Kiel Salary needed to live in Kiel

Public employment offices in Kiel

Agentur für Arbeit Kiel lists 1 public employment office in Kiel (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 providers18 count9 Aug 2026Official accepted language-service location records21Official

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; Kiel's school authority applies it locally.

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents779.3 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)6Official
Hospitals13 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 202418Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents222.4 per 100,0002024BBSR INKAR — physicians per 100,000 residents (indicator 8102)16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Kiel 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 residents779.3 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Kiel?

Police recorded 11,302 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) - Städte26

Recorded crime across major citiesKiel highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Kiel highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Kiel11,302
Leipzig11,129
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Stuttgart8,552
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents11,302 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte26Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate9,456 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 airport4 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat24Official
Nearest airportLBC13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv25Official
Distance to nearest airport68.9 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv25Official

Language courses and integration in Kiel

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

Verified locally
41verified local records
18publicly funded course providers
Check courses in KielHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-09. Showing 3 representative locations from 41 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Kiel

Climate and air quality

Monthly precipitation was 66.8 mm in January and 83.8 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 6.85 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Kiel?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.9 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: 6.85 µg/m³ · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23
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 Kiel is 6.9 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 mean21.04 µg/m³country median 13.72024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
NO₂ — latest reading25.81 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
PM10 — annual mean13.62 µg/m³country median 13.5 — about the same2024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
PM2.5 — annual mean6.85 µg/m³country median 8.02024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 4 · Feb 4.6 · Mar 8 · Apr 12.7 · May 16.5 · Jun 19.8 · Jul 22.2 · Aug 22.1 · Sep 18.2 · Oct 13.1 · Nov 8 · Dec 5 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Kiel-Holtenau31Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -0.4 · Feb -0.4 · Mar 1.4 · Apr 3.9 · May 7.2 · Jun 10.5 · Jul 13 · Aug 13.1 · Sep 10.6 · Oct 6.9 · Nov 3.4 · Dec 0.9 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Kiel-Holtenau31Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 2.1 · Feb 2.4 · Mar 4.5 · Apr 8.1 · May 12 · Jun 15.3 · Jul 17.7 · Aug 17.5 · Sep 14.2 · Oct 10.1 · Nov 5.8 · Dec 3.1 °C31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature)13Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 66.8 · Feb 49.7 · Mar 49.9 · Apr 39.7 · May 51.4 · Jun 66.6 · Jul 83.8 · Aug 77.3 · Sep 65.6 · Oct 72.1 · Nov 63.7 · Dec 70.5 mm31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation)11Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 40 · Feb 60 · Mar 121 · Apr 192 · May 243 · Jun 231 · Jul 238 · Aug 218 · Sep 154 · Oct 106 · Nov 51 · Dec 32 hours31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine)12Official
Annual mean temperature9 °C31 Dec 2020DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster)10Official · land
Annual PM2.5 over time8 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 59.7% between 2014 and 2024, from 17.0 to 6.9.

Similar climate. In Germany: Heide ±0.2 °C. Elsewhere: Gentofte (Denmark) ±0.4 °C, Lyngby-Taarbæk (Denmark) ±0.4 °C, Rudersdal (Denmark) ±0.4 °C, Koszalin (Poland) ±0.7 °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

How many people live in Kiel?

The published population was 251,379 people in 2024. Source: Landeshauptstadt Kiel Kieler Zahlen20

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents445 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality17Official
City area120 km²31 Dec 2023Landeshauptstadt Kiel Gesamtabschluss 202319Official
Foreign-resident share13.4 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat14Official
Foreign residents30,577 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities33Official
Population density2,130 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.22Official
Female residents127,313 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Male residents121,818 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Population251,379 people31 Dec 2024Landeshauptstadt Kiel Kieler Zahlen20Official
Population covered by crime statistics248,873 people31 Dec 2024BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time13 published observations, 2012–2024

Population rose 5.8% between 2012 and 2024, from 237,667 to 251,379.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025

Foreign residents rose 45.6% between 2016 and 2025, from 24,237 to 35,290.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents15,461 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Catholic share6.2 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other153,513 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other, share61.6 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)9Official
Protestant residents80,156 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Protestant share32.2 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official

International community in Kiel

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
Total249,132100.0%
Germany202,91781.4%
Turkey5,7592.3%
Poland5,7362.3%
Syrian Arab Republic5,0022.0%
Iraq3,4121.4%
Russian Federation2,4761.0%
Ukraine1,9670.8%
Bulgaria1,4360.6%
Kazakhstan1,2080.5%
Iran, Islamic Republic of1,1480.5%
Show 144 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Afghanistan9730.4%
Romania6620.3%
Kosovo5040.2%
Pakistan4650.2%
India4520.2%
China4460.2%
Ghana4280.2%
Not stated4020.2%
Lebanon3950.2%
United States3860.2%
Italy3700.1%
Thailand3700.1%
Austria3530.1%
Morocco3510.1%
Lithuania3450.1%
Albania3440.1%
Serbia3390.1%
Yemen3360.1%
Spain3330.1%
Viet Nam3140.1%
Greece3080.1%
United Kingdom3000.1%
Nigeria2970.1%
France2920.1%
Armenia2720.1%
Bosnia and Herzegovina2650.1%
Azerbaijan2620.1%
Denmark2490.1%
Brazil2340.1%
Eritrea2320.1%
Moldova, Republic of2310.1%
Czech Republic2170.1%
Slovakia2130.1%
Colombia1890.1%
Switzerland1860.1%
Egypt1830.1%
Sweden1820.1%
Croatia1790.1%
Philippines1770.1%
Hungary1700.1%
Tunisia1700.1%
Algeria1570.1%
Netherlands1550.1%
Kyrgyzstan1410.1%
Bangladesh1370.1%
Togo1350.1%
Georgia1350.1%
Belarus1210.0%
Latvia1200.0%
Uzbekistan1180.0%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1130.0%
Indonesia1100.0%
Portugal1030.0%
Peru1020.0%
Somalia1000.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of1000.0%
Korea, Republic of1000.0%
Israel940.0%
Singapore900.0%
Finland850.0%
Mexico850.0%
Cameroon830.0%
Norway810.0%
Saudi Arabia790.0%
Estonia780.0%
Jordan760.0%
Canada740.0%
South Africa720.0%
Chile720.0%
Japan700.0%
Nepal690.0%
Ecuador670.0%
Kenya650.0%
Argentina650.0%
Belgium580.0%
Libya560.0%
Australia560.0%
Ethiopia530.0%
Gambia530.0%
Sri Lanka530.0%
Taiwan, Province of China490.0%
Cuba470.0%
Dominican Republic460.0%
Ireland440.0%
Sudan420.0%
South Sudan400.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic370.0%
Côte D'Ivoire360.0%
Kuwait350.0%
Turkmenistan350.0%
Angola320.0%
United Arab Emirates310.0%
New Zealand310.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of290.0%
Paraguay270.0%
Montenegro250.0%
Tajikistan230.0%
Slovenia220.0%
Guatemala220.0%
Palestinian territories220.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the190.0%
Luxembourg180.0%
Rwanda180.0%
Senegal180.0%
Uganda180.0%
Mongolia180.0%
Malaysia180.0%
Namibia160.0%
Cape Verde150.0%
Guinea150.0%
Liberia140.0%
Burkina Faso140.0%
Zimbabwe130.0%
Iceland120.0%
Congo120.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of120.0%
Costa Rica120.0%
Uruguay120.0%
Cyprus110.0%
Trinidad and Tobago110.0%
Benin100.0%
Mauritania100.0%
Niger100.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of100.0%
Mali90.0%
Mauritius80.0%
Bahrain80.0%
Jamaica70.0%
Madagascar60.0%
Cambodia60.0%
Malta50.0%
Mozambique50.0%
Sierra Leone50.0%
El Salvador50.0%
Haiti50.0%
Nicaragua50.0%
Oman50.0%
Barbados40.0%
Panama40.0%
Zambia30.0%
Guinea-Bissau30.0%
Swaziland30.0%
Honduras30.0%
Tonga30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source29

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total249,132100.0%
Germany218,56087.7%
Syrian Arab Republic5,2072.1%
Turkey3,8701.6%
Iraq2,2590.9%
Poland1,7070.7%
Ukraine1,6800.7%
Bulgaria1,5520.6%
Afghanistan9770.4%
Russian Federation8590.3%
Romania7520.3%
Show 137 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Iran, Islamic Republic of6020.2%
Italy4150.2%
China4020.2%
India3690.1%
Yemen3580.1%
Spain3190.1%
Greece3160.1%
Ghana2960.1%
Eritrea2920.1%
Albania2850.1%
Kosovo2640.1%
Austria2550.1%
Viet Nam2530.1%
Pakistan2530.1%
Armenia2510.1%
Croatia2500.1%
Nigeria2370.1%
Uncertain2340.1%
Serbia2290.1%
United States2270.1%
Thailand2250.1%
Slovakia2240.1%
Morocco2030.1%
France1990.1%
Azerbaijan1850.1%
Lithuania1830.1%
Brazil1470.1%
Denmark1450.1%
Netherlands1410.1%
United Kingdom1350.1%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1330.1%
Somalia1270.1%
Hungary1230.0%
Lebanon1090.0%
Bangladesh1090.0%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1080.0%
Colombia1080.0%
Sweden1050.0%
Egypt1010.0%
Portugal990.0%
Kazakhstan910.0%
Korea, Republic of870.0%
Indonesia850.0%
Latvia800.0%
Algeria780.0%
Singapore780.0%
Norway770.0%
Georgia770.0%
Stateless760.0%
Belarus730.0%
Switzerland720.0%
Tunisia720.0%
Israel690.0%
Philippines690.0%
Moldova, Republic of640.0%
Nepal630.0%
Japan580.0%
Cameroon560.0%
Finland540.0%
Uzbekistan540.0%
Canada530.0%
Mexico500.0%
Togo480.0%
Czech Republic470.0%
South Sudan440.0%
Jordan440.0%
Estonia430.0%
Kenya420.0%
Peru410.0%
Australia410.0%
Libya390.0%
Ireland350.0%
Gambia310.0%
Sudan310.0%
Chile300.0%
Belgium290.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of290.0%
Kyrgyzstan280.0%
Taiwan, Province of China260.0%
Ethiopia250.0%
Palestinian territories250.0%
Ecuador220.0%
Sri Lanka220.0%
South Africa210.0%
Saudi Arabia190.0%
Dominican Republic170.0%
Cuba170.0%
New Zealand170.0%
Not stated170.0%
Argentina160.0%
Mongolia160.0%
Burkina Faso150.0%
Uganda140.0%
Montenegro130.0%
Luxembourg130.0%
Côte D'Ivoire130.0%
Slovenia120.0%
Senegal110.0%
Malaysia110.0%
Rwanda100.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of100.0%
Costa Rica100.0%
Cyprus90.0%
Guinea90.0%
Paraguay90.0%
Angola80.0%
Turkmenistan80.0%
Zimbabwe70.0%
Madagascar70.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of70.0%
Jamaica70.0%
Mauritania60.0%
Cape Verde60.0%
Congo60.0%
Guatemala60.0%
Bahrain60.0%
Iceland50.0%
Mozambique50.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic50.0%
Niger40.0%
Namibia40.0%
United Kingdom/British Overseas Territories30.0%
Benin30.0%
Liberia30.0%
Mali30.0%
Mauritius30.0%
Guinea-Bissau30.0%
Swaziland30.0%
Antigua and Barbuda30.0%
Dominica30.0%
Honduras30.0%
Nicaragua30.0%
Uruguay30.0%
Trinidad and Tobago30.0%
China (Hong Kong)30.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of30.0%
Tajikistan30.0%

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

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes25.13 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Labour force139,920 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder30Official
Local business-tax multiplier450 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de32Official
Local property-tax multiplier500 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de32Official

Alternatives for people set on Kiel

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.

Mainz as a Kiel alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 497 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

  • Unemployment: 5.4% Mainz vs 7.9% Kiel−32%
  • Rent: €10.78/m² (2025) Mainz vs €7.64/m² (2022) Kielno percentage
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,891 Mainz vs €4,161 Kiel+18%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,987 Mainz vs 9,456 Kiel−26%
  • Annual PM2.5: 9.7 µg/m³ Mainz vs 6.9 µg/m³ Kiel+42%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,650 Mainz vs €3,900 Kiel+19%
  • Empty flats: 2.9% Mainz vs 2.1% Kiel+37%
Full comparisonMore about Mainz

Valencia as a Kiel alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1830 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 €7.64/m² (2022) Kielno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 9.2 km Valencia vs 68.9 km Kiel−87%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,888 Valencia vs €3,900 Kielno percentage
  • Foreign residents: 15.7% Valencia vs 13.4% Kiel+17%
Full comparisonMore about Valencia

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Kiel€2,869this cityStuttgart€3,901+€1,032Brunswick€3,782+€913Mainz€3,509+€640Mannheim€3,412+€543Chemnitz€2,832−€37

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

Cities near Kiel

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

Klausdorf Commuting Zone · 5.1 km away
Rent
5.36 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Schwentinental Commuting Zone · 6.9 km away
Rent
7.46 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Gettorf Commuting Zone · 14.2 km away
Rent
7.48 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

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

All Germany cities
Chemnitz251,323 residentsBrunswick254,867 residentsMagdeburg245,834 residentsAachen259,171 residentsHalle (Saale)243,452 residentsGelsenkirchen270,934 residents

How does Kiel compare?

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Open the full comparison

Kiel in rankings

#24 of 30 in Highest salary cities in Germany #29 of 30 in Largest cities in Germany

Put Kiel'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 Kiel expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,292 against a median gross salary of €4,161, leaving about €2,869 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 Kiel?

The published population was 251,379 people in 2024. Source: Landeshauptstadt Kiel Kieler Zahlen.

How much does it cost to rent in Kiel?

Average net cold rent is 7.64 EUR/m² per month (May 2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 535 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen.

Is the air quality good in Kiel?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.9 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 Kiel?

Police recorded 11,302 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 Kiel?

The median gross salary is about 4,161 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 Kiel?

The unemployment rate is 7.9 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

Is Kiel a good place to live?

Kiel 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 Kiel?

Elmschenhagen, Klausdorf, Schwentinental, Schilksee, Gettorf are near Kiel. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Germany live in Kiel?

The official country of birth distribution records 202,917 people (81.4%) 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). Kiel, Germany: population, cost of living, rent and salaries [ImmigrationDB compilation; version d138565edd5edb29300650a23c9c99bc]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/kiel/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kiel-germany-population-cost-of-living-rent-and-salaries_10ac403e5853,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Kiel, Germany: population, cost of living, rent and salaries},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {d138565edd5edb29300650a23c9c99bc},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/kiel/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Kiel, Germany: population, cost of living, rent and salaries](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/kiel/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version d138565edd5edb29300650a23c9c99bc; 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 Kiel — official office page Agentur für Arbeit Kiel · 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. 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 2026-09-19
  9. Landeshauptstadt Kiel Gesamtabschluss 2023 kiel.de · checked 2026-07-14
  10. Landeshauptstadt Kiel Kieler Zahlen kiel.de · checked 2026-07-14
  11. Official accepted language-service location records bamf-navi.bamf.de · checked 2026-09-15
  12. Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row. destatis.de · checked 2024-12-31
  13. Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted. umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-15
  14. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  15. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  16. PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte bka.de · checked 2026-07-16
  17. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  18. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  19. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  20. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  21. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Kiel-Holtenau WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  22. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  23. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  24. Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen destatis.de · checked 2026-09-17
  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. Cost of Living in Kiel. Jun 2026. Prices in Kiel numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  32. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  33. wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Kiel 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.