Living in Pärnu

In Pärnu, the median gross salary is €1,459 a month (2026) and unemployment is 6.6% (2021).

At the end of 2021, the unemployment rate was 6.65%. The median age was 44 years in 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-0425 sources

Population52,198people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official statistics: population

Median gross salary1,459EUR/month4 Aug 2026Official source · Statistics Estonia

Average net rent2.24EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2009Official source · KV131: AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT PER SQUARE METRE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA INTERMEDIATED BY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES BY NUMBER OF ROOMS AND LOCATION (2003–2009, QUARTERS)

Unemployment rate6.65%country median 2.9% — 127% aboveOfficial source · Official statistics: unemployment rate

Recorded crime1,650incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Crimes per 10 000 people in counties

Which Estonia-wide rules apply when you move to Pärnu?

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 Pärnu.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Living space averaged 30.5 m² per person at the end of 2021. The housing-vacancy rate was 25.3% at the end of 2021.

How much does it cost to rent in Pärnu?

Average net cold rent is 2.24 EUR/m² per month (2009-Q4), 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): 2.24 EUR/m²/month · KV131: AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT PER SQUARE METRE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA INTERMEDIATED BY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES BY NUMBER OF ROOMS AND LOCATION (2003–2009, QUARTERS)³

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Transport pass€35

Internet, 60 Mbps€28

Mobile plan, 10 GB€20

Net rent across major citiesPärnu 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	Telia Estonia 100 Mbps internet²¹Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	20.32 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Telia Estonia 16GB plan²²Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	35 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Pärnu public transport 30-day pass¹⁵Official
Dwellings	28,884 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: dwellings⁶Official
Housing vacancy rate	25.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: housing vacancy rate percent⁹Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	2.24 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2009	KV131: AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT PER SQUARE METRE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA INTERMEDIATED BY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES BY NUMBER OF ROOMS AND LOCATION (2003–2009, QUARTERS)³Official

Is Pärnu 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 worker51%strong on housing, weak on air quality · range 41–61%

Skilled employee58%strong on housing, weak on education · range 50–66%

Student60%strong on housing, weak on work · range 52–68%

Family59%strong on safety, weak on cost · range 50–68%

Retirement59%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 46–72%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 134 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 2.24 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: 2009-Q4

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 134 EUR a month, which is 9% of the published median gross salary of 1,459 (2026). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: 2009-Q4

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Pärnu?

The median gross salary is 1,459 EUR/month (2026). The regional series (home-region basis, 2026Q1) is a separate labelled row in the table.

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

Median gross salary: 1,459 EUR/month · Statistics Estonia¹⁶
Median gross salary (regional): 1,459 EUR/month · 2026-08-26 · andmed.stat.ee¹⁶

What is the unemployment rate in Pärnu?

The unemployment rate is about 6.6 % (2021).

Unemployment rate: 6.65 % · Official statistics: unemployment rate¹³

Unemployment across cities in EstoniaUnemployment in Pärnu is 6.7%. Of 47 cities with data, 35 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Pärnu 6.7%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	1,459 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Statistics Estonia¹⁶Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,459 EUR/month	26 Aug 2026	andmed.stat.ee¹⁶Official
Unemployment rate	6.65 %country median 2.9%	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹³Official

What does a salary buy in Pärnu?

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

Left over each month€1,005of €1,223 take-home

Rent
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.	€1,223
Rent, 60 m²€2.24/m² · official · KV131: AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT PER SQUARE METRE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA INTERMEDIATED BY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES BY NUMBER OF ROOMS AND LOCATION (2003–2009, QUARTERS) · 2009-12-31	− €134
Public transport pass€35 · official · Pärnu public transport 30-day pass · 2026-09-30	− €35
Utilities, 85 m²not published for this city	—
Internet€28 · official · Telia Estonia 100 Mbps internet · 2026-07-31	− €28
Mobile plan€20 · official · Telia Estonia 16GB plan · 2026-09-30	− €20
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish	€1,005

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Pärnu Salary needed to live in Pärnu

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Pärnu. 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 Pärnu. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with high school education or higher	78.07 %	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: g07 high school or higher share pct⁸Official
Schools	12 schools	27 Aug 2026	Statistics Estonia¹⁷Official

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; Pärnu's school authority applies it locally.

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

Safety

How safe is Pärnu?

Police recorded 1,650 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	1,650 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	Crimes per 10 000 people in counties¹Official · county

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Nearest airport	EPU	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv¹⁴Official
Distance to nearest airport	4.1 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv¹⁴Official

Language courses and integration in Pärnu

1 exact private or nonprofit provider record is linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Provider-supplied information

1provider-supplied leads

Private and nonprofit providers

Provider-supplied records stay separate from government-verified services.

Provider-supplied record · supplemental MTÜ Pärnu Vanalinna Koolituskeskus

Vee tn. 2, Pärnu

+372 565 39 27 · info@vlkoolitus.ee

Open provider website

Check courses in Pärnu How the country programme works

Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Pärnu

Climate and air quality

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

0°

-1°-6°

-1°-7°

3°-4°

10°1°

17°6°

20°11°

23°14°

22°13°

17°9°

10°4°

4°0°

1°-3°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

148

210

300

294

306

259

173

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average January temperature	-3.5 °C	28 Aug 2026	Keskkonnaagentuur (KAUR) / ilmateenistus.ee²Official
Annual mean temperature (modelled)	6.39 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Annual precipitation (modelled)	690.3 mm/year	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January mean temperature (modelled)	-4.23 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January minimum temperature (modelled)	-31.23 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July maximum temperature (modelled)	31.14 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July mean temperature (modelled)	18.52 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Daily precipitation rate (modelled)	1.89 mm/day	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Solar exposure (modelled)	2.71 kWh/m²/day	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology⁵Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Average daytime high by month	Jan -0.8 · Feb -1 · Mar 3 · Apr 10.2 · May 16.7 · Jun 20.2 · Jul 23 · Aug 21.8 · Sep 16.6 · Oct 9.9 · Nov 4.3 · Dec 1.1 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PARNU²³Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -5.5 · Feb -6.6 · Mar -3.7 · Apr 1.2 · May 6.1 · Jun 10.7 · Jul 13.6 · Aug 12.8 · Sep 8.6 · Oct 3.8 · Nov 0 · Dec -3.1 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PARNU²³Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan -3 · Feb -3.7 · Mar -0.5 · Apr 5.4 · May 11.4 · Jun 15.4 · Jul 18.3 · Aug 17.2 · Sep 12.5 · Oct 6.8 · Nov 2.2 · Dec -0.9 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PARNU²³Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 60.6 · Feb 49.4 · Mar 42.6 · Apr 40.4 · May 39 · Jun 77.8 · Jul 73.6 · Aug 84.2 · Sep 61.1 · Oct 82.6 · Nov 73 · Dec 71.3 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PARNU²³Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by month	Jan 38.8 · Feb 69.6 · Mar 148.2 · Apr 210.1 · May 300.3 · Jun 293.5 · Jul 306.4 · Aug 258.6 · Sep 172.8 · Oct 95.5 · Nov 36.5 · Dec 24.3 hours	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PARNU²³Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Estonia: Tartu linn ±0.6 °C. Elsewhere: Jönköping (Sweden) ±1.2 °C, Vantaa (Finland) ±0.9 °C, Turku (Finland) ±0.9 °C, Espoo (Finland) ±0.7 °C, Barrie (Canada) ±2.0 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 857.6 km² in 2026. Population density was 60.9 people per km² in 2026.

How many people live in Pärnu?

The published population was 52,198 people in 2026. Source: Official statistics: population¹²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport90.7%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Area	856 km²	27 Aug 2026	Maa- ja Ruumiamet (Land and Spatial Development Board)⁴Official
City area	857.6 km²	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population¹²Official
Foreign-resident share	9.25 %	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: foreign residents⁷Official
Foreign residents	4,830 people	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: foreign residents⁷Official
Population density	60.9 people/km²	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population¹²Official
Population	52,198 people	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population¹²Official

International community in Pärnu

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
Country of birth total	51,212	100.0%
Estonia	46,375	90.6%
Russian Federation	2,214	4.3%
Ukraine	944	1.8%
Other foreign country	477	0.9%
Finland	353	0.7%
Latvia	252	0.5%
Belarus	185	0.4%
Kazakhstan	94	0.2%
Lithuania	69	0.1%

Show 6 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Germany	64	0.1%
United Kingdom	55	0.1%
Azerbaidjan	53	0.1%
Uzbekistan	33	0.1%
Georgia	31	0.1%
Country of birth unknown	13	0.0%

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

Citizenship

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

Published group	People	Share
Citizenship total	51,212	100.0%
Estonian citizenship	47,817	93.4%
Citizenship of another country	1,485	2.9%
Russian citizenship	1,076	2.1%
Citizenship undetermined	822	1.6%
Citizenship unknown	12	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁹

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
Ethnic nationalities total	51,212	100.0%
Estonian	44,003	85.9%
Russian	4,597	9.0%
Ukrainian	983	1.9%
Other ethnic nationalities	483	0.9%
Finn	377	0.7%
Belarusian	194	0.4%
Latvian	154	0.3%
Ethnic nationality unknown	147	0.3%
German	82	0.2%

Show 5 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Lithuanian	70	0.1%
Pole	42	0.1%
Tatar	33	0.1%
Armenian	31	0.1%
Jew	16	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁸

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Living space per resident	30.5 m²/person	31 Dec 2021	Official statistics: living space per resident¹⁰Official
Median age	44 years	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: median age¹¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Pärnu

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 Pärnu alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 130 km, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

Median gross pay, city: €1,924 Tartu linn vs €1,459 Pärnu+32%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,370 Tartu linn vs 1,650 Pärnu+44%
Median gross pay, region: €1,924 Tartu linn vs €1,459 Pärnu+32%
Nearest airport: 8.3 km Tartu linn vs 4.1 km Pärnu+102%
Rent: €6.42/m² (2008) Tartu linn vs €2.24/m² (2009) Pärnuno percentage
Unemployment: 4.9% Tartu linn vs 6.6% Pärnu−27%
Foreign residents: 11.0% Tartu linn vs 9.3% Pärnu+19%

Full comparison More about Tartu linn

Cities near Pärnu

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

Alternative cities in Estonia

Other cities in Estonia to compare with Pärnu, nearest in population first.

All Estonia cities

Narva51,411 residents Kohtla-Järve32,368 residents Tartu linn99,900 residents Saue vald26,112 residents Rae vald25,835 residents Viimsi vald20,330 residents

How does Pärnu compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Pärnu in rankings

#11 of 20 in Regions and station proxies with the mildest published January temperature

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Pärnu 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.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Pärnu?

The published population was 52,198 people in 2026. Source: Official statistics: population.

How much does it cost to rent in Pärnu?

Average net cold rent is 2.24 EUR/m² per month (2009-Q4), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 157 EUR a month before utilities. Source: KV131: AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT PER SQUARE METRE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA INTERMEDIATED BY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES BY NUMBER OF ROOMS AND LOCATION (2003–2009, QUARTERS).

How safe is Pärnu?

Police recorded 1,650 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 Pärnu?

The median gross salary is 1,459 EUR/month (2026). The regional series (home-region basis, 2026Q1) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Estonia.

What is the unemployment rate in Pärnu?

The unemployment rate is about 6.6 % (2021). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate.

What is the typical salary around Pärnu?

The median gross salary is 1,459 EUR/month. Source: andmed.stat.ee.

Is Pärnu a good place to live?

Pärnu 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 Pärnu?

Tori is near Pärnu. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Country of birth total live in Pärnu?

The official country of birth distribution records 51,212 people (100.0%) 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 29). Pärnu, Estonia: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b9c59fe81db52e7790369797c76e3f96]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ee/parnu/ Retrieved 2026-10-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_parnu-estonia-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_cfe5bb43f7aa,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Pärnu, Estonia: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-29},
  version = {b9c59fe81db52e7790369797c76e3f96},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ee/parnu/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Pärnu, Estonia: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ee/parnu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b9c59fe81db52e7790369797c76e3f96; retrieved 2026-10-29; built 2026-10-29.

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 2026-10-03
Keskkonnaagentuur (KAUR) / ilmateenistus.ee ilmateenistus.ee · checked 2026-06-12
KV131: AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT PER SQUARE METRE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA INTERMEDIATED BY REAL ESTATE AGENCIES BY NUMBER OF ROOMS AND LOCATION (2003–2009, QUARTERS) andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-10-04
Maa- ja Ruumiamet (Land and Spatial Development Board) geoportaal.maaamet.ee · checked 2026-06-12
NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-29
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
Official statistics: living space per resident andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-07-18

Show 15 more sources

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
OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
Pärnu public transport 30-day pass parnu.pilet.ee · checked 2026-09-15
Statistics Estonia andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-08-04
Statistics Estonia andmed.stat.ee · checked 2026-06-12
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
Telia Estonia 100 Mbps internet telia.ee · checked 2026-09-15
Telia Estonia 16GB plan telia.ee · checked 2026-09-15
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PARNU WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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.