Living in Heraklion

In Heraklion, unemployment is 12.7% (2021).

Heraklion had a population of 179,302 in October 2021. The city covered 52.1 km² in 2024. Population density was 2,871.3 people per km² in 2024. The bachelor’s-or-higher share was 23.5% in 2021. The high-school-or-higher share was 56.2% in 2021. School enrolment accounted for 20.2% of the population in 2021. Fixed internet cost €24.90 per month at the provider's published price in October 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-1523 sources

Population179,302people22 Oct 2021Official source · Official statistics: population

Average gross salary1,843EUR/month31 Dec 2022Regional figureOfficial source · Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)

Average net rent8EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025Commercial source · RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025

Unemployment rate12.73%country median 13.6% — 6% belowOfficial source · Official statistics: unemployment rate

Recorded crime1,906incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024Regional figureOfficial source · A4. Offences committed by General Police Directorates and Regional General Police Directorates (2000–2024)

PM2.5, annual mean11.7µg/m³2024Official source · Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean

Which Greece-wide rules apply when you move to Heraklion?

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 GreeceNational rates and thresholds that apply in Heraklion.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation accounted for 61.7% of homes in October 2021. The city had 72,940 dwellings in 2021.

How much does it cost to rent in Heraklion?

Average net cold rent is 8 EUR/m² per month (2025), 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): 8 EUR/m²/month · RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025²²

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€367

Utilities, 85 m² flat€173

Transport pass€70

Fitness club€44

Internet, 60 Mbps€25

Mobile plan, 10 GB€15

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	43.8 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Heraklion. Jul 2026. Prices in Heraklion²¹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	24.9 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Telekom Fiber 100 Unlimited — official fixed plans catalogue¹⁶Official · national market
Private kindergarten, monthly	367.1 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Heraklion. Jul 2026. Prices in Heraklion²¹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	13 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Heraklion. Jul 2026. Prices in Heraklion²¹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	14.5 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	WHAT’S UP prepaid packages — UNLIMITED CALLS 10GB¹⁷Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	70 EUR/month	31 Mar 2026	Heraklion urban bus tickets⁶Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	172.8 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Heraklion. Jul 2026. Prices in Heraklion²¹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	72,940 dwellings	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: dwellings⁹Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	8 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2025	RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025²²Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Is Heraklion 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 worker58%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 47–69%

Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on education · range 48–68%

Student61%strong on cost, weak on work · range 51–71%

Family50%strong on safety, weak on cost · range 39–61%

Retirement54%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 42–66%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 480 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 8 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: 2025

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 12.7% in October 2021. The employment rate was 87.3% in October 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Heraklion?

The unemployment rate is about 12.7 % (October 2021).

Unemployment rate: 12.73 % · Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁵

Unemployment across cities in GreeceUnemployment in Heraklion is 12.7%. Of 274 cities with data, 210 have unemployment of 10 to under 20%.

210

0–1010–2020–3030–4040–5080–90

Heraklion 12.7%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	1,843 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)⁷Official · regional context
Employment rate	87.27 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁵Official
Unemployment rate	12.73 %country median 13.6%	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁵Official

What does a salary buy in Heraklion?

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

Left over each month€267of €1,029 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.	€1,029
Rent, 60 m²€8.00/m² · market price · RE/MAX Greece · 2025-12-31	− €480
Public transport pass€70 · official · Heraklion urban bus tickets · 2026-03-31	− €70
Utilities, 85 m²€173 · market price · Cost of Living in Heraklion. Jul 2026. Prices in Heraklion · 2026-07-31	− €173
Internet€25 · official · Telekom Fiber 100 Unlimited · 2026-10-31	− €25
Mobile plan€15 · official · WHAT’S UP prepaid packages · 2026-10-31	− €15
Left over	€267

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

Family and education

A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €367.08 in July 2026.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with high school education or higher	56.19 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: g07 bachelors or higher share pct¹¹Official
School enrolment, share of residents	20.22 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁵Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 4 to 15. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Reception classes for pupils with insufficient Greek (ZEP measures). How to enrol a child (minedu.gov.gr).

A country-wide rule for Greece; Heraklion's school authority applies it locally.

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

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	1,906 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2024	A4. Offences committed by General Police Directorates and Regional General Police Directorates (2000–2024)¹Official · regional context

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Preparatory Greek-language classes for migrants and refugees in Second Chance Schools — State Language Course

General Secretariat for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning — Ministry of Education

For legally resident migrants, refugees aged 18 or over who meet the Second Chance School conditions.

GreekIn Person

Open official information

Open the full Greece section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Heraklion.

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 11.7 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 19.8 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Heraklion?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean¹³

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

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

PM2.511.7WHO 5 · EU 25

NO₂19.8WHO 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	19.8 µg/m³	2024	Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean¹³Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	11.7 µg/m³	2024	Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean¹³Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Heraklion?

The published population was 179,302 people in October 2021. Source: Official statistics: population¹⁴

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport94.7%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	52.07 km²	2024	Official statistics: city area⁸Official
Foreign-resident share	5.31 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: foreign-resident share¹⁰Official
Foreign residents	9,525 people	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: foreign-resident share¹⁰Official
Population density	2,871 people/km²	2024	Official statistics: city area⁸Official
Population	179,302 people	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: population¹⁴Official

Population over time11 published observations, 1991–2021

115,706

138,475

161,244

184,013

179,302199120012005200720092021

Population rose 48.9% between 1991 and 2021, from 120,417 to 179,302.

International community in Heraklion

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

Country of birth

Permanent resident population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	179,301	100.0%
Greece	166,907	93.1%
Other country	12,392	6.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Citizenship

Permanent resident population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	179,301	100.0%
Greece	169,773	94.7%
Outside Greece	9,525	5.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁴

Citizenship

Permanent resident population, both sexes, in the 2021 Population and Housing Census · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	179,301	100.0%
Greece	169,773	94.7%
Outside Greece	9,525	5.3%
European countries outside the EU	5,701	3.2%
EU countries except Greece	2,068	1.2%
Asian countries	1,326	0.7%
African countries	185	0.1%
Without declared country	74	0.0%
Without citizenship or undetermined citizenship	66	0.0%
North American countries	51	0.0%
Caribbean, South or Central American countries	37	0.0%

Show 1 more group

Published group	People	Share
Oceanian countries	15	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁵

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Owner-occupied homes	61.68 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: dwellings⁹Official
Labour force participation rate	47.79 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁵Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	23.54 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: g07 bachelors or higher share pct¹¹Official
Households with a vehicle available	72.91 %	22 Oct 2021	Official statistics: g09 households with vehicle available pct¹²Official

Alternatives for people set on Heraklion

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.

Larissa as a Heraklion alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 537 km, better on 2 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,159 Larissa vs 1,906 Heraklion−39%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €308 Larissa vs €173 Heraklion+78%
Unemployment: 14.4% Larissa vs 12.7% Heraklion+13%
Foreign residents: 4.1% Larissa vs 5.3% Heraklion−23%
Rent: €7.80/m² Larissa vs €8.00/m² Heraklionsame level
A meal out: €11 Larissa vs €13 Heraklion−15%
Residents: 164,095 Larissa vs 179,302 Heraklion−8%

Full comparison More about Larissa

Lisbon as a Heraklion alternative in another country

Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Rent: €17.42/m² (2026) Lisbon vs €8.00/m² (2025) Heraklionno percentage
Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,090 (2022) Lisbon vs 1,906 (2024) Heraklionno percentage
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €150 Lisbon vs €173 Heraklion−13%
A meal out: €15 Lisbon vs €13 Heraklion+15%

Full comparison More about Lisbon

Cities near Heraklion

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

Alternative cities in Greece

Other cities in Greece to compare with Heraklion, nearest in population first.

All Greece cities

Pátra170,755 residents Piraeus168,151 residents Larissa164,095 residents Irákleion149,501 residents Patras215,922 residents Lárisa146,595 residents

How does Heraklion compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Heraklion in rankings

#4 of 30 in Largest cities in Greece

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Heraklion 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.

Put Heraklion'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.

How many people live in Heraklion?

The published population was 179,302 people in October 2021. Source: Official statistics: population.

How much does it cost to rent in Heraklion?

Average net cold rent is 8 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 560 EUR a month before utilities. Source: RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025.

Is the air quality good in Heraklion?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean.

What is the unemployment rate in Heraklion?

The unemployment rate is about 12.7 % (October 2021). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate.

How many foreign residents live in Heraklion?

9,525 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official statistics: foreign-resident share.

Is Heraklion a good place to live?

Heraklion 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 Heraklion?

Gázi, Arkalochóri are near Heraklion. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Greece live in Heraklion?

The official country of birth distribution records 166,907 people (93.1%) 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). Heraklion, Greece: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ea2f417a8ce080d49ce7fc0adab5e27c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/heraklion/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_heraklion-greece-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_9d9e5bf7679a,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Heraklion, Greece: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ea2f417a8ce080d49ce7fc0adab5e27c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/heraklion/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Heraklion, Greece: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/heraklion/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ea2f417a8ce080d49ce7fc0adab5e27c; 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

A4. Offences committed by General Police Directorates and Regional General Police Directorates (2000–2024) lms.statistics.gr · checked 2026-09-25
ec.europa.eu place coordinates ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-30
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-30
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) citizenship distribution statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-28
Heraklion urban bus tickets astiko-irakleiou.gr · checked 2026-09-14
Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-24
Official statistics: city area gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: dwellings statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: foreign-resident share statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18

Show 13 more sources

Official statistics: g07 bachelors or higher share pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: g09 households with vehicle available pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: population statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: unemployment rate statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Telekom Fiber 100 Unlimited — official fixed plans catalogue Telekom Fiber 100 Unlimited · telekom.gr · checked 2026-10-12
WHAT’S UP prepaid packages — UNLIMITED CALLS 10GB WHAT’S UP prepaid packages · whatsup.gr · checked 2026-10-12
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
Cost of Living in Heraklion. Jul 2026. Prices in Heraklion numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025 RE/MAX Greece · remax.gr · checked 2026-07-29
wikidata.org place coordinates wikidata.org · checked 2026-08-28

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.