Living in León
In León, the statutory reference rent is €5.00 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 10.1% (2024).
León is a city in Spain, with a population of 123,446 at the start of 2025. Gigabit broadband availability was 99.4% in 2025. Annual PM2.5 was 8.7 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. A monthly estimate placed internet service at €36 in December 2022. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €126 in December 2022. An estimate placed an inexpensive restaurant meal at €12 in December 2022. The unemployment rate was 10.1% in 2024.
Higher unemployment than 94% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 77% of Spanish cities that publish it.
Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to León?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in León?
Average net cold rent is 5 EUR/m² per month (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): 5 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es2
Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Transport pass, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps. The others are published prices.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 34.4 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 36.43 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 184.1 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 11.94 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 12 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | DIGI 100GB mobile plan3Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 22.39 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 126.3 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Dwellings | 79,200 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 55,185 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| Secondary, seasonal or vacant dwellings | 24,012 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 5 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.10 | 31 Dec 2022 | cdn.mivau.gob.es2Official |
| Official reference rent (median) | 491.3 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality24Official |
Is León 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.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 300 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5 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.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in León?
The unemployment rate is about 10.1 % (2024).
- Unemployment rate: 10.12 % · INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city12
León 10.1%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 99.35 % | 30 Jun 2025 | SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202525Official |
| People in employment | 45,522 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 1,881 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)13Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 10.12 %country median 4.4% | 31 Dec 2024 | INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city12Official |
Unemployment rate fell 53.3% between 2015 and 2024, from 21.7% to 10.1%.
What does a salary buy in León?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft 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. | €1,520 |
| Rent, 60 m²€5.00/m² · official · cdn.mivau.gob.es · 2022-12-31 | − €300 |
| Public transport pass€22 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €22 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€126 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €126 |
| Internet€36 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €36 |
| Mobile plan€12 · official · DIGI 100GB mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €12 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,023 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to León. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in León. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 100,000 residents | 994.6 beds per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202519Official |
| Hospitals | 5 count | 31 Dec 2025 | Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202519Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in León under the national coverage rules.
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 guideSafety
How safe is León?
Police recorded about 5,415 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.20
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglaries per 100,000 residents | 70.48 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q47Official |
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 5,415 incidents per 100,000country median 4,281 | 31 Dec 2024 | MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.20Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 190.4 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q47Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for León. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas — public language education network — State Language Course
Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports / autonomous education authorities
For adult language learners, residents.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in León?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
León 8.7
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 17 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station BARRIO PINILLA)4Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 18 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station BARRIO PINILLA)5Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8.7 µg/m³country median 8.7 — about the same | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 7.8 · Feb 10.1 · Mar 13.5 · Apr 15.4 · May 19.2 · Jun 24 · Jul 27 · Aug 26.7 · Sep 22.7 · Oct 17.2 · Nov 11.4 · Dec 8.6 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station LEÓN/VIRGEN DEL CAMINO26Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -1 · Feb -0.6 · Mar 1.5 · Apr 3.3 · May 6.4 · Jun 9.9 · Jul 11.9 · Aug 12 · Sep 9.5 · Oct 6.4 · Nov 2.3 · Dec -0.1 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station LEÓN/VIRGEN DEL CAMINO26Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 3.4 · Feb 4.7 · Mar 7.5 · Apr 9.4 · May 12.8 · Jun 16.9 · Jul 19.5 · Aug 19.3 · Sep 16.1 · Oct 11.8 · Nov 6.9 · Dec 4.3 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station LEÓN/VIRGEN DEL CAMINO26Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 51.1 · Feb 31.6 · Mar 38.8 · Apr 47.3 · May 55 · Jun 29.2 · Jul 18.3 · Aug 20.1 · Sep 31.5 · Oct 62 · Nov 53.4 · Dec 57.4 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station LEÓN/VIRGEN DEL CAMINO26Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 130.5 · Feb 171.2 · Mar 217.7 · Apr 238.1 · May 275.1 · Jun 320.3 · Jul 361.1 · Aug 330.4 · Sep 258.5 · Oct 189.5 · Nov 141.5 · Dec 125 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station LEÓN/VIRGEN DEL CAMINO26Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In Spain: Logroño ±3.2 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±1.3 °C, Werl (Germany) ±1.7 °C, Hoyerswerda (Germany) ±1.8 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±1.8 °C, Bad Arolsen (Germany) ±1.8 °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 León?
The published population was 123,446 people in January 2025. Source: León - official stats18
By nationality
National passport92.1%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 463.9 cars per 1000 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat8Official |
| City area | 103.9 km² | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat GISCO, European Commission10Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 7.6 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat9Official |
| Foreign residents | 9,813 people | 1 Jan 2024 | Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.21Official |
| Population density | 1,471 people/km² | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat GISCO / Eurostat Urban Audit10Official |
| Female residents | 66,444 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)14Official |
| Male residents | 54,837 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)14Official |
| Population | 123,446 people | 1 Jan 2025 | León - official stats18Official |
Population fell 5.7% between 2001 and 2025, from 130,916 to 123,446.
Foreign residents rose 56.1% between 2015 and 2025, from 7,366 to 11,497.
International community in León
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 122,398 | 100.0% |
| Spain | 110,819 | 90.5% |
| South America | 3,801 | 3.1% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 2,120 | 1.7% |
| Africa | 2,092 | 1.7% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 1,794 | 1.5% |
| Asia | 763 | 0.6% |
| Rent of Europe | 660 | 0.5% |
| North America | 333 | 0.3% |
| Oceania | 16 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source15
Citizenship
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 122,398 | 100.0% |
| Spanish | 114,641 | 93.7% |
| Africa | 2,101 | 1.7% |
| South America | 2,062 | 1.7% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 1,695 | 1.4% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 793 | 0.6% |
| Asia | 656 | 0.5% |
| Rent of Europe | 334 | 0.3% |
| North America | 105 | 0.1% |
| Oceania | 7 | 0.0% |
| Statelens | 4 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source16
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on León
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.
San Andrés del Rabanedo as a León alternative in the same region
5 km away, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,855 San Andrés del Rabanedo vs 5,415 León−29%
- Residents: 29,944 San Andrés del Rabanedo vs 123,446 León−76%
- Nearest airport: 3.6 km San Andrés del Rabanedo vs 7.1 km León−49%
- Hospital beds, per 100k: 963.7 San Andrés del Rabanedo vs 994.6 León−3%
- Rent: €5.00/m² San Andrés del Rabanedo vs €5.00/m² Leónsame level
- Median gross pay, region: €1,881 San Andrés del Rabanedo vs €1,881 Leónsame level
Reus as a León alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 575 km, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.
- Foreign residents: 18.5% Reus vs 7.6% León+143%
- Unemployment: 15.2% Reus vs 10.1% León+50%
- Rent: €5.80/m² Reus vs €5.00/m² León+16%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,261 Reus vs €1,881 León+20%
- Hospital beds, per 100k: 1,473.8 Reus vs 994.6 León+48%
- Nearest airport: 5.1 km Reus vs 7.1 km León−28%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,612 Reus vs 5,415 León+4%
Tallinn as a León alternative in another country
A move, not a commute, at 2785 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.
- Annual PM2.5: 3.0 µg/m³ Tallinn vs 8.7 µg/m³ León−66%
- Rent: €7.33/m² (2008) Tallinn vs €5.00/m² (2022) Leónno percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €2,068 (2025) Tallinn vs €1,881 (2024) Leónno percentage
- Nearest airport: 5.6 km Tallinn vs 7.1 km León−21%
Cities near León
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 5.3 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
Alternative cities in Spain
Other cities in Spain to compare with León, nearest in population first.
How does León compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays León's.
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Regional reception programmes (aulas de enlace Madrid / aules d acollida Catalonia etc). How to enrol a child (educacionfpydeportes.gob.es).
A country-wide rule for Spain; León's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in León?
The published population was 123,446 people in January 2025. Source: León - official stats.
How much does it cost to rent in León?
Average net cold rent is 5 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 350 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.
Is the air quality good in León?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair.
How safe is León?
Police recorded about 5,415 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator..
What is the unemployment rate in León?
The unemployment rate is about 10.1 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.
What is the typical salary around León?
The median gross salary is 1,881 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Is León a good place to live?
León 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 León?
San Andrés del Rabanedo, Villaquilambre, Sariegos, Valverde de la Virgen are near León. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Spain live in León?
The official country of birth distribution records 110,819 people (90.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. 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). León, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 58e6d31f3bb722e0122770983260dfdb]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/leon/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_leon-spain-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_65d3b2953678,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {León, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {58e6d31f3bb722e0122770983260dfdb},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/leon/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[León, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/leon/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 58e6d31f3bb722e0122770983260dfdb; 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
- Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-07-16
- cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
- DIGI 100GB mobile plan digimobil.es · checked 2026-09-15
- EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station BARRIO PINILLA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station BARRIO PINILLA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair EEA City Trend · eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
- ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q4 estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-09-15
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Show 22 more sources
- 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
- INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- León - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
- Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
- MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
- Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality SERPAVI · cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-09-12
- SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station LEÓN/VIRGEN DEL CAMINO 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
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
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.