Living in Kohtla-Järve

In Kohtla-Järve, the median gross salary is €1,431 a month (2026) and unemployment is 10.3% (2021).

Kohtla-Järve had a population of 32,368 at the start of 2026. The city covered 39.4 km² in 2026. Population density was 822.6 people per km² in 2026. The high-school-or-higher share was 82.5% in 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-0724 sources

Population32,368people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official statistics: population

Median gross salary1,431EUR/month4 Aug 2026Official source · Statistics Estonia

Unemployment rate10.27%country median 2.9% — 251% aboveOfficial source · Official statistics: unemployment rate

Recorded crime3,080incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Crimes per 10 000 people in counties

PM2.5, annual mean3µg/m³31 Dec 2025Official source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — EE 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement

Which Estonia-wide rules apply when you move to Kohtla-Järve?

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 EstoniaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Kohtla-Järve.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Living space averaged 26.1 m² per person at the end of 2021. The housing-vacancy rate was 24% at the end of 2021.

No city-level rent figure is published for Kohtla-Järve. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Transport pass€30

Internet, 60 Mbps€28

Mobile plan, 10 GB€20

Net rent across major citiesKohtla-Järve highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Tallinn€7.33

Tartu linn€6.42

Pärnu€2.24

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	27.9 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Private customer fixed connection price list¹⁷Official
Mobile plan, 10 GB	20.32 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Private customer mobile service price list¹⁸Official
Monthly transport pass	30 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Kohtla-Järve public bus fares regulation⁶Official
Dwellings	21,244 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: dwellings⁷Official
Housing vacancy rate	23.96 %	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: housing vacancy rate percent¹⁰Official

Is Kohtla-Järve 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 worker47%strong on work, weak on housing · range 37–57%

Skilled employee57%strong on legal route, weak on housing · range 48–66%

Student64%strong on legal route, weak on housing · range 54–74%

Family61%strong on safety, weak on housing · range 50–72%

Retirement61%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 49–73%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 10.3% at the end of 2021.

What is the typical salary in Kohtla-Järve?

The median gross salary is 1,431 EUR/month (2026). The regional series (home-region basis, 2025Q4) is a separate labelled row in the table.

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

Median gross salary: 1,431 EUR/month · Statistics Estonia¹⁹
Median gross salary (regional): 1,450 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · Statistics Estonia PA117 — median monthly gross wages by administrative unit²³

What is the unemployment rate in Kohtla-Järve?

The unemployment rate is about 10.3 % (2021).

Unemployment rate: 10.27 % · Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴

Unemployment across cities in EstoniaUnemployment in Kohtla-Järve is 10.3%. Of 47 cities with data, 35 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Kohtla-Järve 10.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	1,431 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Statistics Estonia¹⁹Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,450 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Statistics Estonia PA117 — median monthly gross wages by administrative unit²³Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	10.27 %country median 2.9%	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁴Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Kohtla-Järve. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Eesti Töötukassa — Public employment service

Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund

Job Search

Search jobs

Open the Estonia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Kohtla-Järve. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with high school education or higher	82.52 %	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: g07 high school or higher share pct⁹Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 7 to 17, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: eesti keel teise keelena (Estonian as a second language remedial teaching + individual-curriculum support measures). How to enrol a child (hm.ee).

A country-wide rule for Estonia; Kohtla-Järve's school authority applies it locally.

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

Safety

How safe is Kohtla-Järve?

Police recorded 3,080 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Crimes per 10 000 people in counties¹

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	3,080 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	Crimes per 10 000 people in counties¹Official · county

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	1 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁵Official
Nearest airport	TAY	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁶Official
Distance to nearest airport	126 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁶Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Kohtla-Järve. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

2026 free Estonian language courses with named regional locations — State Language Course

Integration Foundation and named language schools

For permanent residents, returnees.

EstonianIn Person, OnlineFree

Open official information

Estonian language courses for newcomers and residents — State Language Course

Integration Foundation

For newly arrived residents, permanent residents, returnees.

EstonianIn Person, OnlineFree

Open official information

Open the full Estonia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Kohtla-Järve.

Find courses near Kohtla-Järve

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Kohtla-Järve?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3 µg/m³ (2025) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — EE 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement²

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

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

-2°-8°

2°-6°

10°0°

16°4°

20°9°

22°12°

21°11°

16°7°

8°2°

3°-2°

0°-5°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.53WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1017WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂4WHO 10 · EU 40

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	4 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA air quality statistics — EE NO2 annual mean 2024 (station "Kohtla-Järve")³Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean	17 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA air quality statistics — EE PM10 annual mean 2024 (station "Kohtla-Järve")⁴Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean	3 µg/m³	31 Dec 2025	EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — EE 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement²Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan -2.3 · Feb -2.4 · Mar 1.9 · Apr 9.5 · May 15.8 · Jun 19.6 · Jul 22.4 · Aug 21 · Sep 15.7 · Oct 8.5 · Nov 2.7 · Dec -0.5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁴Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -7.5 · Feb -8.5 · Mar -5.5 · Apr -0.1 · May 4.3 · Jun 9.1 · Jul 11.9 · Aug 10.9 · Sep 7 · Oct 2.4 · Nov -1.7 · Dec -5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁴Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -4.6 · Feb -5.2 · Mar -1.7 · Apr 4.5 · May 10.3 · Jun 14.6 · Jul 17.4 · Aug 15.9 · Sep 11.2 · Oct 5.5 · Nov 0.6 · Dec -2.5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁴Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 45.2 · Feb 33.5 · Mar 36.3 · Apr 33.9 · May 50.1 · Jun 84.1 · Jul 77.4 · Aug 92.9 · Sep 66.6 · Oct 83.9 · Nov 64.2 · Dec 49 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁴Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Kohtla-Järve?

The published population was 32,368 people in January 2026. Source: Official statistics: population¹³

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport71.6%
Foreign residents28.4%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	39.35 km²	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population¹³Official
Foreign-resident share	28.37 %	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: foreign residents⁸Official
Foreign residents	9,184 people	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: foreign residents⁸Official
Population density	822.6 people/km²	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population¹³Official
Population	32,368 people	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population¹³Official

International community in Kohtla-Järve

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

Country of birth

Population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census; total age group and total sex · 2021 Census (31 December 2021)

Published group	People	Share
Russian Federation	6,939	20.7%
Ukraine	1,105	3.3%
Belarus	777	2.3%
Kazakhstan	295	0.9%
Latvia	191	0.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²²

Citizenship

Population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census; total age group and total sex · 2021 Census (31 December 2021)

Published group	People	Share
Russian citizenship	7,638	22.8%
Citizenship of another country	987	2.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²¹

Ancestry or ethnicity

Population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census; total age group and total sex · 2021 Census (31 December 2021)

Published group	People	Share
Estonian	5,298	15.8%
Ukrainian	1,079	3.2%
Belarusian	1,068	3.2%
Finn	316	0.9%
Pole	171	0.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²⁰

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Living space per resident	26.1 m²/person	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: living space per resident¹¹Official
Median age	50 years	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: median age¹²Official

Alternatives for people set on Kohtla-Järve

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.

Tartu linn as a Kohtla-Järve alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, region and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Residents: 99,900 Tartu linn vs 32,368 Kohtla-Järve+209%
Unemployment: 4.9% Tartu linn vs 10.3% Kohtla-Järve−53%
Median gross pay, city: €1,924 Tartu linn vs €1,431 Kohtla-Järve+34%
Foreign residents: 11.0% Tartu linn vs 28.4% Kohtla-Järve−61%
Median gross pay, region: €1,924 (2026) Tartu linn vs €1,450 (2025) Kohtla-Järveno percentage
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,370 Tartu linn vs 3,080 Kohtla-Järveno percentage
Empty flats: 25.4% Tartu linn vs 24.0% Kohtla-Järve+6%

Full comparison More about Tartu linn

Alternative cities in Estonia

Other cities in Estonia to compare with Kohtla-Järve, nearest in population first.

All Estonia cities

Saue vald26,112 residents Rae vald25,835 residents Narva51,411 residents Viimsi vald20,330 residents Pärnu52,198 residents Harku vald19,128 residents

How does Kohtla-Järve compare?

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

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Kohtla-Järve in rankings

#14 of 30 in Cities with the lowest annual NO2 #17 of 30 in Cities with the strongest published PM2.5 and NO2 combination #22 of 30 in Cities with the lowest annual PM2.5 #26 of 30 in Cities meeting the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Kohtla-Järve when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

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

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Is Kohtla-Järve part of Narva?

Kohtla-Järve is near Narva, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 45.1 km away by straight-line distance. Narva city profile

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source⁵

Common questions

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

How many people live in Kohtla-Järve?

The published population was 32,368 people in January 2026. Source: Official statistics: population.

Is the air quality good in Kohtla-Järve?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3 µg/m³ (2025) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — EE 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement.

How safe is Kohtla-Järve?

Police recorded 3,080 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Crimes per 10 000 people in counties.

What is the typical salary in Kohtla-Järve?

The median gross salary is 1,431 EUR/month (2026). The regional series (home-region basis, 2025Q4) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Estonia.

What is the unemployment rate in Kohtla-Järve?

The unemployment rate is about 10.3 % (2021). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate.

What is the typical salary around Kohtla-Järve?

The median gross salary is 1,450 EUR/month. Source: Statistics Estonia PA117 — median monthly gross wages by administrative unit.

Is Kohtla-Järve a good place to live?

Kohtla-Järve 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.

Is Kohtla-Järve part of Narva?

Kohtla-Järve is near Narva, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 45.1 km away by straight-line distance.

How many people born in Russian Federation live in Kohtla-Järve?

The official country of birth distribution records 6,939 people (20.7%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census (31 December 2021). 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). Kohtla-Järve, Estonia: population, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 01e1e3e7e59eaa127fbc198a9e804f53]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ee/kohtla-jarve/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kohtla-jarve-estonia-population-salary-cost-of-living_de7bbcc36727,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Kohtla-Järve, Estonia: population, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {01e1e3e7e59eaa127fbc198a9e804f53},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ee/kohtla-jarve/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Kohtla-Järve, Estonia: population, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ee/kohtla-jarve/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 01e1e3e7e59eaa127fbc198a9e804f53; 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

Crimes per 10 000 people in counties statistika.justdigi.ee · checked 2026-10-05
EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — EE 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
EEA air quality statistics — EE NO2 annual mean 2024 (station "Kohtla-Järve") EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
EEA air quality statistics — EE PM10 annual mean 2024 (station "Kohtla-Järve") EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
gisco-services.ec.europa.eu place coordinates gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
Kohtla-Järve public bus fares regulation riigiteataja.ee · checked 2026-09-14
Official statistics: dwellings andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: foreign residents andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: g07 high school or higher share pct andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: housing vacancy rate percent andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18

Show 14 more sources

Official statistics: living space per resident andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: median age andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: population andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: unemployment rate andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Private customer fixed connection price list telia.ee · checked 2026-09-14
Private customer mobile service price list telia.ee · checked 2026-09-14
Statistics Estonia andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-08-04
Statistics Estonia (Statistical database) ancestry or ethnicity distribution andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-08-28
Statistics Estonia (Statistical database) citizenship distribution andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-08-28
Statistics Estonia (Statistical database) country of birth distribution andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-08-28
Statistics Estonia PA117 — median monthly gross wages by administrative unit Statistics Estonia PA117 · andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-29
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-29

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.