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Living in Rostock

In Rostock, the median gross salary is €3,789 a month (2025), rents across existing tenancies average €6.70 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 7.6% (2024).

Rostock had 211,993 residents at the end of 2024 and is a city in Germany. The unemployment rate was 7.6% in 2024. In May 2022, the foreign population was 13,469.

Last checked 2026-09-2444 sources

Population211,993people31 Dec 2024Official source · Rostock Bevoelkerungsentwicklung
Median gross salary3,789EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025
Average net rent6.7EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.81 — 15% aboveOfficial source · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen
Unemployment rate7.6%country median 5.1% — 49% aboveOfficial source · Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average
Recorded crime8,457incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 10% belowOfficial source · PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte
PM2.5, annual mean9.28µg/m³country median 8.0 — 16% aboveOfficial source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.

Pricier rent than 74% of German cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 89% of German cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 64% of German cities that publish it.

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

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 Rostock.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €11.13 per m² per month in May 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Rostock?

Average net cold rent is 6.7 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): 6.7 EUR/m²/month · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen35
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Rostock recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€210
Private kindergarten€164
Transport pass€62
Internet, 60 Mbps€35
Mobile plan, 10 GB€26
Fitness club€20

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesRostock highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Rostock 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, monthly20.24 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v243Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited34.83 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v243Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly164.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v243Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant11.94 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v243Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB26.41 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Rostock. Jun 2026. Prices in Rostock42Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass61.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v243Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home209.9 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v243Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings125,635 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder35Official
Housing vacancy rate2.59 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder35Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)6.7 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.8115 May 2022Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen35Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)Alternative estimate11.13 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Rostock44Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,279 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €3,789, that leaves €2,510 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Rostock salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,279 basket · median gross salary €3,789/month
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 74%€946
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 16%€210
  • Transport pass · 5%€62
  • Internet and mobile · 5%€61

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,279 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-09-24).

Is Rostock 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 worker53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–61%
Skilled employee62%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–70%
Student64%strong on education, weak on safety · range 57–71%
Family51%strong on education, weak on cost · range 44–58%
Retirement47%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 38–56%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 402 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 6.7 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 402 EUR a month, which is 11% of the published median gross salary of 3,789 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: May 2022

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Rostock?

The median gross salary is about 3,789 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: 3,789 EUR/month · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202529
  • Median gross salary (regional): 3,550 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243

What is the unemployment rate in Rostock?

The unemployment rate is 7.6 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Rostock is 7.6%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability32.88 %31 Dec 2025data.bundesnetzagentur.de8Official
Gigabit broadband availability96.87 %31 Dec 2025Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas7Official
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026Agentur für Arbeit Rostock — official office page1Official
People in employment97,010 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder32Official
Median gross salary3,789 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202529Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,550 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243Official · regional context
Unemployment rate7.6 %country median 5.1%31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2Official
Unemployment rate over time12 published observations, 2011–2025

Unemployment rate fell 26.1% between 2011 and 2025, from 10.4% to 7.7%.

What does a salary buy in Rostock?

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

Rostock median gross pay: €3,789 (Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,488of €2,489 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.€2,489
Rent, 60 m²€11.13/m² advertised for new lettings (market price · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Rostock · 2026-05-01). Official average for existing leases: €6.70/m² (official · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen · 2022-05-15).− €668
Public transport pass€62 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €62
Utilities, 85 m²€210 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €210
Internet€35 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €35
Mobile plan€26 · market price · Cost of Living in Rostock. Jun 2026. Prices in Rostock · 2026-07-31− €26
Left over€1,488
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Rostock Salary needed to live in Rostock

Public employment offices in Rostock

Agentur für Arbeit Rostock lists 1 public employment office in Rostock (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 providers14 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; Rostock's school authority applies it locally.

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents676.3 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)6Official
Hospitals4 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 202420Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Rostock 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 residents676.3 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Rostock?

Police recorded 8,457 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 citiesRostock highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Rostock 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
Rostock8,457
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,457 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte26Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate8,823 incidents per 100,0002022INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table18Official 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 airport5 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat24Official
Nearest airportRLG13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv25Official
Distance to nearest airport21 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv25Official

Language courses and integration in Rostock

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

Verified locally
20verified local records
14publicly funded course providers

Internationaler Bund - Freier Träger der Jugend-, Sozial- u. Bildungsarbeit e.V.

Albrecht-Tischbein-Str. 48, 18109 Rostock

View official record
Check courses in RostockHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-09. Showing 3 representative locations from 20 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Rostock

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 1.9°C in January and 18.3°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 46.2 mm in January and 69.8 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 9.28 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Rostock?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.3 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: 9.28 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 Rostock is 9.3 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 mean13.81 µg/m³country median 13.7 — about the same2024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
NO₂ — latest reading13.8 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
PM10 — annual mean14.83 µg/m³country median 13.52024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.23Official
PM2.5 — annual mean9.28 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 3.8 · Feb 4.4 · Mar 7.3 · Apr 12.2 · May 16.4 · Jun 19.7 · Jul 22 · Aug 22.2 · Sep 18.5 · Oct 13.3 · Nov 8 · Dec 4.9 °C31 Dec 2020DWD CLIMAT 1991-2020 — Rostock-Warnemuende climate monthly high c10Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -0.2 · Feb 0.1 · Mar 1.8 · Apr 5.2 · May 9 · Jun 12.6 · Jul 15 · Aug 15 · Sep 12 · Oct 7.9 · Nov 4 · Dec 1.1 °C31 Dec 2020DWD CLIMAT 1991-2020 — Rostock-Warnemuende climate monthly low c11Official
Average temperature by monthJan 1.9 · Feb 2.2 · Mar 4.4 · Apr 8.4 · May 12.5 · Jun 16 · Jul 18.3 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 15 · Oct 10.5 · Nov 6 · Dec 3 °C31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature)15Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 46.2 · Feb 38.2 · Mar 39.2 · Apr 34.2 · May 49.7 · Jun 67.8 · Jul 69.8 · Aug 68.5 · Sep 56.1 · Oct 48.1 · Nov 45.7 · Dec 50.9 mm31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation)13Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 49.2 · Feb 67.7 · Mar 133.3 · Apr 207.8 · May 260.3 · Jun 250.4 · Jul 252.1 · Aug 224.8 · Sep 168.7 · Oct 109.1 · Nov 53.6 · Dec 37.2 hours31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine)14Official
Annual mean temperature8.8 °C31 Dec 2020DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster)12Official · land
Annual PM2.5 over time8 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 59.7% between 2014 and 2024, from 23.0 to 9.3.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Rostock?

The published population was 211,993 people in 2024. Source: Rostock Bevoelkerungsentwicklung27

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents408 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality19Official
City area181.4 km²31 May 2026Rostock geografische Angaben28Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Foreign-resident share7.8 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat16Official
Foreign residents13,469 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities34Official
Population density1,132 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.22Official
Female residents104,341 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Male residents99,129 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Population211,993 people31 Dec 2024Rostock Bevoelkerungsentwicklung27Official
Population covered by crime statistics210,795 people31 Dec 2024BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time13 published observations, 2012–2024

Population rose 5.0% between 2012 and 2024, from 201,813 to 211,993.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025

Foreign residents rose 89.2% between 2016 and 2025, from 9,083 to 17,187.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents6,209 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Catholic share3.1 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other178,369 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other, share87.7 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)9Official
Protestant residents18,890 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Protestant share9.3 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official

International community in Rostock

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
Total203,470100.0%
Germany183,03990.0%
Poland2,8411.4%
Russian Federation2,0641.0%
Syrian Arab Republic1,9971.0%
Ukraine1,7510.9%
Kazakhstan8760.4%
Czech Republic8750.4%
Viet Nam6690.3%
Romania5190.3%
Afghanistan5060.2%
Show 129 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Iran, Islamic Republic of4730.2%
India3840.2%
Lithuania3730.2%
Turkey3410.2%
China3040.1%
Bulgaria2800.1%
Hungary2780.1%
Iraq2630.1%
Not stated2540.1%
Italy2060.1%
Philippines1850.1%
Armenia1770.1%
Latvia1620.1%
Pakistan1600.1%
Austria1570.1%
Croatia1440.1%
Belarus1330.1%
Serbia1310.1%
Slovakia1280.1%
United States1280.1%
Eritrea1230.1%
Moldova, Republic of1170.1%
United Kingdom1140.1%
Greece1120.1%
Brazil1090.1%
Uzbekistan1080.1%
France1070.1%
Indonesia1070.1%
Spain1060.1%
Egypt1030.1%
Kyrgyzstan880.0%
Tunisia860.0%
Albania810.0%
Georgia790.0%
Switzerland780.0%
Azerbaijan780.0%
Thailand760.0%
Ghana730.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina710.0%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of690.0%
Algeria640.0%
Sweden620.0%
Somalia590.0%
Honduras560.0%
Cuba560.0%
Netherlands540.0%
Korea, Republic of520.0%
Morocco500.0%
Colombia490.0%
Togo460.0%
Mexico450.0%
Denmark430.0%
Kosovo420.0%
Yemen420.0%
Portugal410.0%
Nigeria410.0%
Japan400.0%
Bangladesh400.0%
Lebanon380.0%
Tajikistan340.0%
Israel310.0%
Argentina300.0%
Finland290.0%
Ethiopia290.0%
South Africa280.0%
Saudi Arabia280.0%
Norway270.0%
Belgium250.0%
Estonia250.0%
Kenya250.0%
Chile240.0%
Peru230.0%
Nicaragua220.0%
Palestinian territories220.0%
Ecuador210.0%
United Arab Emirates210.0%
Ireland200.0%
Mauritania200.0%
Libya180.0%
Jordan170.0%
Taiwan, Province of China170.0%
Slovenia160.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of160.0%
Kuwait150.0%
Benin140.0%
Dominican Republic130.0%
Cameroon120.0%
Canada120.0%
Nepal110.0%
Australia110.0%
Cyprus100.0%
Côte D'Ivoire100.0%
Kiribati90.0%
New Zealand90.0%
Montenegro80.0%
Luxembourg80.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of80.0%
Mongolia80.0%
Turkmenistan80.0%
Sri Lanka70.0%
Guinea60.0%
Costa Rica60.0%
Angola50.0%
Gambia50.0%
Niger50.0%
Sudan50.0%
Gabon40.0%
Mozambique40.0%
Senegal40.0%
Sierra Leone40.0%
Uganda40.0%
El Salvador40.0%
Singapore40.0%
Iceland30.0%
Malta30.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Liberia30.0%
Madagascar30.0%
Mali30.0%
Malawi30.0%
Zambia30.0%
Burkina Faso30.0%
Chad30.0%
Barbados30.0%
Haiti30.0%
Panama30.0%
Paraguay30.0%
Myanmar30.0%
Oman30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source31

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total203,470100.0%
Germany190,00193.4%
Syrian Arab Republic1,9371.0%
Ukraine1,4650.7%
Poland8690.4%
Russian Federation7500.4%
Afghanistan6440.3%
Viet Nam5640.3%
Romania5070.2%
Iran, Islamic Republic of4170.2%
India3450.2%
Show 115 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Turkey2910.1%
China2910.1%
Lithuania2770.1%
Bulgaria2520.1%
Hungary2140.1%
Italy2070.1%
Iraq2010.1%
Armenia1960.1%
Uncertain1960.1%
Croatia1790.1%
Eritrea1730.1%
Pakistan1660.1%
Philippines1520.1%
Latvia1220.1%
Greece1140.1%
Serbia1120.1%
Belarus1020.1%
Indonesia1010.0%
Austria940.0%
Egypt940.0%
Spain880.0%
Somalia870.0%
Albania860.0%
United States820.0%
Tunisia780.0%
Ghana770.0%
Kazakhstan770.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina680.0%
France620.0%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of610.0%
Netherlands560.0%
Brazil550.0%
Portugal510.0%
United Kingdom510.0%
Honduras510.0%
Thailand500.0%
Korea, Republic of490.0%
Azerbaijan450.0%
Moldova, Republic of440.0%
Czech Republic440.0%
Nigeria440.0%
Morocco440.0%
Georgia440.0%
Switzerland430.0%
Togo410.0%
Bangladesh400.0%
Algeria370.0%
Colombia370.0%
Japan360.0%
Kyrgyzstan350.0%
Stateless350.0%
Sweden330.0%
Mexico320.0%
Cuba300.0%
Uzbekistan290.0%
Kosovo260.0%
Slovakia260.0%
Finland250.0%
Israel250.0%
Denmark230.0%
Estonia220.0%
Palestinian territories220.0%
Mauritania200.0%
Norway190.0%
Yemen190.0%
Ethiopia180.0%
Kenya170.0%
Ireland160.0%
Peru150.0%
Lebanon150.0%
Benin140.0%
Chile140.0%
Jordan130.0%
Belgium120.0%
Argentina120.0%
Ecuador120.0%
Nepal120.0%
Kiribati120.0%
Cameroon110.0%
Taiwan, Province of China110.0%
Libya100.0%
Nicaragua100.0%
Slovenia90.0%
Sri Lanka90.0%
Singapore90.0%
Luxembourg80.0%
South Africa80.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of80.0%
Montenegro70.0%
Sierra Leone70.0%
Tajikistan70.0%
Saudi Arabia60.0%
New Zealand60.0%
Gambia50.0%
Costa Rica50.0%
Côte D'Ivoire40.0%
Zambia40.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of40.0%
Dominican Republic40.0%
El Salvador40.0%
Canada40.0%
Mongolia40.0%
Cyprus30.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Madagascar30.0%
Mali30.0%
Malawi30.0%
Guinea30.0%
Senegal30.0%
Barbados30.0%
Haiti30.0%
Panama30.0%
Uruguay30.0%
Myanmar30.0%
Australia30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source30

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes14.65 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder35Official
Labour force103,660 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder32Official
Local business-tax multiplier465 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de33Official
Local property-tax multiplier480 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de33Official

Alternatives for people set on Rostock

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.

Schwaan as a Rostock alternative in the same region

16 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: €6.09/m² Schwaan vs €6.70/m² Rostockno percentage
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 1,047.7 Schwaan vs 676.3 Rostock+55%
  • Unemployment: 6.0% Schwaan vs 7.6% Rostock−21%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,450 Schwaan vs €3,550 Rostockno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 11.5 km Schwaan vs 21.0 km Rostock−45%
Full comparisonMore about Schwaan

Mainz as a Rostock alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 525 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

  • Foreign residents: 19.3% Mainz vs 7.8% Rostock+147%
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,891 Mainz vs €3,789 Rostock+29%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,650 Mainz vs €3,550 Rostock+31%
  • Rent: €10.78/m² (2025) Mainz vs €6.70/m² (2022) Rostockno percentage
  • Unemployment: 5.4% Mainz vs 7.6% Rostock−29%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €326 Mainz vs €210 Rostock+55%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,987 Mainz vs 8,823 Rostock−21%
Full comparisonMore about Mainz

Valencia as a Rostock alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1877 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.

  • Foreign residents: 15.7% Valencia vs 7.8% Rostock+101%
  • Rent: €8.20/m² (2024) Valencia vs €6.70/m² (2022) Rostockno percentage
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,888 Valencia vs €3,550 Rostockno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 9.2 km Valencia vs 21.0 km Rostock−56%
Full comparisonMore about Valencia

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Rostock€2,510this cityStuttgart€3,901+€1,391Brunswick€3,782+€1,271Mainz€3,509+€998Mannheim€3,412+€902

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

Cities near Rostock

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

Bad Doberan Commuting Zone · 15.1 km away
Rent
6.46 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Schwaan Commuting Zone · 16.0 km away
Rent
6.09 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Laage Commuting Zone · 21.8 km away
Rent
5.34 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Tessin Commuting Zone · 22.7 km away
Rent
5.95 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Kröpelin Commuting Zone · 22.9 km away
Rent
5.61 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

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

All Germany cities
Oberhausen213,646 residentsErfurt213,703 residentsKassel207,622 residentsLübeck223,156 residentsMainz224,030 residentsHagen197,677 residents

How does Rostock compare?

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Put Rostock'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 Rostock expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,279 against a median gross salary of €3,789, leaving about €2,510 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 Rostock?

The published population was 211,993 people in 2024. Source: Rostock Bevoelkerungsentwicklung.

How much does it cost to rent in Rostock?

Average net cold rent is 6.7 EUR/m² per month (May 2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 469 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen.

Is the air quality good in Rostock?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.3 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 Rostock?

Police recorded 8,457 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 Rostock?

The median gross salary is about 3,789 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 Rostock?

The unemployment rate is 7.6 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

Is Rostock a good place to live?

Rostock 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 Rostock?

Bad Doberan, Schwaan, Laage, Tessin, Kröpelin are near Rostock. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Germany live in Rostock?

The official country of birth distribution records 183,039 people (90.0%) in the source-defined population for 2022-05-15. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

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

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Rostock, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 6aadfc5508354337d6770fd1ff82b09e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/rostock/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_rostock-germany-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_19526eefbee8,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Rostock, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {6aadfc5508354337d6770fd1ff82b09e},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/rostock/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Rostock, Germany: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/rostock/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 6aadfc5508354337d6770fd1ff82b09e; 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 Rostock — official office page Agentur für Arbeit Rostock · 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 CLIMAT 1991-2020 — Rostock-Warnemuende climate monthly high c DWD CLIMAT 1991-2020 · opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
Show 34 more sources
  1. DWD CLIMAT 1991-2020 — Rostock-Warnemuende climate monthly low c DWD CLIMAT 1991-2020 · opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  2. 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
  3. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  4. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  5. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  6. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  7. 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
  8. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  9. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt · kba.de · checked 2026-07-14
  10. Krankenhausverzeichnis 2024 statistikportal.de · checked 2026-09-19
  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. Rostock Bevoelkerungsentwicklung rathaus.rostock.de · checked 2026-07-14
  18. Rostock geografische Angaben rathaus.rostock.de · checked 2026-07-14
  19. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  20. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  21. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  22. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  23. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  24. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  25. Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen destatis.de · checked 2026-09-17
  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. Cost of Living in Rostock. Jun 2026. Prices in Rostock numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  33. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  34. wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Rostock wohnungsboerse.net · checked 2026-06-04

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