Living in Cologne
In Cologne, rent averages €3.75 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 4.4% (2023).
Cologne covered 13.83 km² and had a population density of 550.1 people per km² at the start of 2026. The foreign population count was 759 at the start of 2026.
Lower unemployment than 84% of Italian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than any other Italian city that publishes it and dirtier air than 93% of Italian cities that publish it.
Which Italy-wide rules apply when you move to Cologne?
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 Cologne?
Average net cold rent is 3.75 EUR/m² per month (2025-S2), 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): 3.75 EUR/m²/month · Collected source1
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 29.9 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | iliadbox fixed fibre4Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 11.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | iliad GIGA mobile tariff3Official · national market |
| Dwellings | 3,411 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics)6Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 2,977 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics)7Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 3.75 EUR/m²/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Collected source1Official · municipality zone median |
Is Cologne 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 225 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 3.75 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 Cologne?
The unemployment rate is about 4.4 % (2023).
- Unemployment rate: 4.44 % · Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT)13
Cologne 4.4%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| People in employment | 3,399 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics)8Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 2,118 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | servizi2.inps.it22Official |
| Unemployment rate | 4.44 %country median 6.0% | 31 Dec 2023 | Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT)13Official |
What does a salary buy in Cologne?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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. | €1,697 |
| Rent, 60 m²€3.75/m² · official · Collected source · 2025-12-31 | − €225 |
| Internet€30 · official · iliadbox fixed fibre · 2026-09-30 | − €30 |
| Mobile plan€12 · official · iliad GIGA mobile tariff · 2026-09-30 | − €12 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,430 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Cologne. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Centri per l'impiego — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Cologne. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary schools | 1 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito (dati.istruzione.it)16Official |
| Schools | 5 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito (dati.istruzione.it)16Official |
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Italian L2 laboratories and support for foreign pupils (DPR 394/1999 art 45 route). How to enrol a child (istruzione.it).
A country-wide rule for Italy; Cologne's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.
Safety
How safe is Cologne?
Police recorded about 3,527 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Tasso di delittuosità - prov23
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 3,527 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Tasso di delittuosità - prov23Official · county |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Cologne. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
CPIA public Italian-language and orientation courses for foreign adults — State Language Course
Italian public adult-education system — Centri Provinciali per l'Istruzione degli Adulti
For foreign adults, people seeking Italian language and culture courses.
L.O.R.R. — Language, Orientation, Recognition and Networks with CPIA — Job-related language course
Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies / FAMI 2021-2027 programme
For third-country nationals, vulnerable migrants, unaccompanied minors.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Cologne?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 22 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency2
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
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.
Cologne 22.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 22 µg/m³country median 14.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | European Environment Agency2Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 7.82 · Feb 9.3 · Mar 14.2 · Apr 18.24 · May 22.87 · Jun 27 · Jul 29.65 · Aug 28.87 · Sep 24.23 · Oct 18.3 · Nov 12.25 · Dec 8.04 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI24Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -0.21 · Feb 0.67 · Mar 4.27 · Apr 8.09 · May 12.31 · Jun 16.28 · Jul 18.51 · Aug 18.27 · Sep 14.53 · Oct 10.19 · Nov 4.99 · Dec 0.55 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI25Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 3.6 · Feb 4.92 · Mar 9.25 · Apr 13.13 · May 17.71 · Jun 21.75 · Jul 24.12 · Aug 23.62 · Sep 19.15 · Oct 14.09 · Nov 8.51 · Dec 4.05 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI26Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 44.45 · Feb 49.77 · Mar 52.99 · Apr 79.45 · May 103.9 · Jun 103.4 · Jul 63.2 · Aug 92.07 · Sep 105.5 · Oct 103.1 · Nov 149.1 · Dec 61.53 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI27Official |
Annual PM2.5 fell 29.0% between 2013 and 2024, from 31.0 to 22.0.
Similar climate. In Italy: Latina ±2.5 °C. Elsewhere: Murfreesboro (United States) ±2.2 °C, Oklahoma City (United States) ±2.6 °C, Lyon (France) ±0.9 °C, Villeurbanne (France) ±0.9 °C, Little Rock (United States) ±2.8 °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 Cologne?
The published population was 7,611 people in 2025. Source: ISTAT municipality population and citizenship tables 202511
By nationality
National passport90%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 638 cars/1000 residents | 31 Dec 2023 | IstatData / ACI Pubblico registro automobilistico12Official |
| City area | 13.83 km² | 2026 | Official SITUAS report 74 (Comuni - Dimensione): exact municipality surface in km2, with annual area vintage.18Official |
| Foreign residents | 759 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Official ISTAT STRASA estimate of resident foreign population by municipality at 1 January 2026; Età=999 is the total.17Official |
| Population density | 550.1 people/km² | 1 Jan 2026 | Official SITUAS report 74 (Comuni - Dimensione): exact municipality surface in km2, with annual area vintage.19Official |
| Female residents | 3,797 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics)5Official |
| Male residents | 3,814 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics)5Official |
| Population | 7,611 people | 1 Jan 2025 | ISTAT municipality population and citizenship tables 202511Official |
Population rose 1.3% between 2018 and 2025, from 7,511 to 7,611.
International community in Cologne
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Resident population in Italy at 1 January 2025; source-native country dimension; total sex · 2025-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Derived source total (sum of all published country rows) | 7,611 | 100.0% |
| Italia | 6,564 | 86.2% |
| Albania | 210 | 2.8% |
| Senegal | 139 | 1.8% |
| Marocco | 134 | 1.8% |
| Romania | 103 | 1.4% |
| Kosovo | 49 | 0.6% |
| India | 48 | 0.6% |
| Ghana | 47 | 0.6% |
| Ucraina | 41 | 0.5% |
Show 51 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Egitto | 37 | 0.5% |
| Nigeria | 28 | 0.4% |
| Tunisia | 20 | 0.3% |
| Moldova | 19 | 0.2% |
| Burkina Faso | 11 | 0.1% |
| Svizzera | 10 | 0.1% |
| Costa d'Avorio | 10 | 0.1% |
| Pakistan | 8 | 0.1% |
| Guinea | 8 | 0.1% |
| Macedonia del Nord | 7 | 0.1% |
| Brasile | 7 | 0.1% |
| Serbia | 6 | 0.1% |
| Francia | 5 | 0.1% |
| Bosnia-Erzegovina | 5 | 0.1% |
| Cina | 5 | 0.1% |
| Uruguay | 5 | 0.1% |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 0.1% |
| Etiopia | 4 | 0.1% |
| Liberia | 4 | 0.1% |
| Argentina | 4 | 0.1% |
| Bolivia | 4 | 0.1% |
| Cile | 4 | 0.1% |
| Colombia | 4 | 0.1% |
| Belgio | 3 | 0.0% |
| Germania | 3 | 0.0% |
| Regno Unito | 3 | 0.0% |
| Polonia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Federazione russa | 3 | 0.0% |
| Croazia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 0.0% |
| Filippine | 3 | 0.0% |
| Benin | 3 | 0.0% |
| Madagascar | 3 | 0.0% |
| Messico | 3 | 0.0% |
| Venezuela | 3 | 0.0% |
| Spagna | 2 | 0.0% |
| Ungheria | 2 | 0.0% |
| Bielorussia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Thailandia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Sierra Leone | 2 | 0.0% |
| Svezia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Lituania | 1 | 0.0% |
| Afghanistan | 1 | 0.0% |
| Iraq | 1 | 0.0% |
| Kenya | 1 | 0.0% |
| Uganda | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cuba | 1 | 0.0% |
| Repubblica Dominicana | 1 | 0.0% |
| Ecuador | 1 | 0.0% |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0.0% |
| Perù | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source15
Citizenship
Resident population in Italy at 1 January 2025; source-native country dimension; total sex · 2025-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Derived source total (sum of all published country rows) | 7,611 | 100.0% |
| Italia | 6,859 | 90.1% |
| Albania | 148 | 1.9% |
| Romania | 110 | 1.4% |
| Marocco | 96 | 1.3% |
| Senegal | 95 | 1.2% |
| Kosovo | 45 | 0.6% |
| India | 40 | 0.5% |
| Ucraina | 37 | 0.5% |
| Ghana | 29 | 0.4% |
Show 36 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 22 | 0.3% |
| Egitto | 19 | 0.2% |
| Tunisia | 15 | 0.2% |
| Pakistan | 10 | 0.1% |
| Moldova | 8 | 0.1% |
| Costa d'Avorio | 8 | 0.1% |
| Guinea | 8 | 0.1% |
| Burkina Faso | 7 | 0.1% |
| Cina | 6 | 0.1% |
| Federazione russa | 4 | 0.1% |
| Macedonia del Nord | 4 | 0.1% |
| Brasile | 4 | 0.1% |
| Polonia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 0.0% |
| Filippine | 3 | 0.0% |
| Bolivia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Ungheria | 2 | 0.0% |
| Croazia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 0.0% |
| Liberia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Ecuador | 2 | 0.0% |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 0.0% |
| Francia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Regno Unito | 1 | 0.0% |
| Svizzera | 1 | 0.0% |
| Lituania | 1 | 0.0% |
| Serbia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Afghanistan | 1 | 0.0% |
| Sierra Leone | 1 | 0.0% |
| Uganda | 1 | 0.0% |
| Messico | 1 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 1 | 0.0% |
| Colombia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Perù | 1 | 0.0% |
| Uruguay | 1 | 0.0% |
| Venezuela | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Cologne
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.
Capriolo as a Cologne alternative in the same region
6 km away, better on 2 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.
- Annual PM2.5: 18.0 µg/m³ Capriolo vs 22.0 µg/m³ Cologne−18%
- Residents: 9,390 Capriolo vs 7,611 Cologne+23%
- Nearest airport: 18.0 km Capriolo vs 21.0 km Cologne−14%
- Rent: €3.80/m² Capriolo vs €3.75/m² Colognesame level
- Unemployment: 4.4% Capriolo vs 4.4% Colognesame level
- Median gross pay, region: €2,118 Capriolo vs €2,118 Colognesame level
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,527 Capriolo vs 3,527 Colognesame level
Avellino as a Cologne alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 651 km, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Residents: 51,975 Avellino vs 7,611 Cologne+583%
- Annual PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³ Avellino vs 22.0 µg/m³ Cologne−55%
- Median gross pay, region: €1,549 Avellino vs €2,118 Cologne−27%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,706 Avellino vs 3,527 Cologne−23%
- Nearest airport: 34.0 km Avellino vs 21.0 km Cologne+62%
- Rent: €3.70/m² Avellino vs €3.75/m² Colognesame level
Budapest as a Cologne alternative in another country
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.
- Rent: €16.94/m² (2026) Budapest vs €3.75/m² (2025) Cologneno percentage
- Annual PM2.5: 13.0 µg/m³ Budapest vs 22.0 µg/m³ Cologne−41%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,534 (2026) Budapest vs €2,118 (2024) Cologneno percentage
- Nearest airport: 18.0 km Budapest vs 21.0 km Cologne−14%
Cities near Cologne
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
Alternative cities in Italy
Other cities in Italy to compare with Cologne, nearest in population first.
How does Cologne compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Cologne's.
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Cologne 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 guideCommon questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Cologne?
The published population was 7,611 people in 2025. Source: ISTAT municipality population and citizenship tables 2025.
How much does it cost to rent in Cologne?
Average net cold rent is 3.75 EUR/m² per month (2025-S2), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 263 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Collected source.
Is the air quality good in Cologne?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 22 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.
How safe is Cologne?
Police recorded about 3,527 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Tasso di delittuosità - prov.
What is the unemployment rate in Cologne?
The unemployment rate is about 4.4 % (2023). Source: Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT).
What is the typical salary around Cologne?
The median gross salary is 2,118 EUR/month. Source: servizi2.inps.it.
Is Cologne a good place to live?
Cologne 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 Cologne?
Erbusco, Coccaglio, Adro, Rovato, Palazzolo sull'Oglio are near Cologne. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Derived source total (sum of all published country rows) live in Cologne?
The official country of birth distribution records 7,611 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025-01-01. 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). Cologne, Italy: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 4d98d3e9603e2528c2ff98e2e18393bd]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/it/cologne/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_cologne-italy-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_8b81c19d578c,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Cologne, Italy: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {4d98d3e9603e2528c2ff98e2e18393bd},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/it/cologne/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Cologne, Italy: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/it/cologne/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 4d98d3e9603e2528c2ff98e2e18393bd; 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
- Collected source www1.agenziaentrate.gov.it · checked 2026-08-05
- European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- iliad GIGA mobile tariff iliad.it · checked 2026-09-15
- iliadbox fixed fibre iliad.it · checked 2026-09-15
- Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) istat.it · checked 2026-08-07
- Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) esploradati.istat.it · checked 2026-08-07
- Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) esploradati.istat.it · checked 2026-08-07
- Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) esploradati.istat.it · checked 2026-08-07
- Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) istat.it · checked 2026-08-07
- Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) esploradati.istat.it · checked 2026-08-07
Show 26 more sources
- ISTAT municipality population and citizenship tables 2025 demo.istat.it · checked 2026-07-26
- IstatData / ACI Pubblico registro automobilistico istat.it · checked 2026-08-08
- Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT) istat.it · checked 2026-08-04
- Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (Istat), Italy citizenship distribution demo.istat.it · checked 2026-08-28
- Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (Istat), Italy country of birth distribution demo.istat.it · checked 2026-08-28
- Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito (dati.istruzione.it) dati.istruzione.it · checked 2026-08-03
- Official ISTAT STRASA estimate of resident foreign population by municipality at 1 January 2026; Età=999 is the total. demo.istat.it · checked 2026-07-15
- Official SITUAS report 74 (Comuni - Dimensione): exact municipality surface in km2, with annual area vintage. situas-servizi.istat.it · checked 2026-07-15
- Official SITUAS report 74 (Comuni - Dimensione): exact municipality surface in km2, with annual area vintage. demo.istat.it · checked 2026-07-15
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- servizi2.inps.it servizi2.inps.it · checked 2026-08-27
- Tasso di delittuosità - prov esploradati.istat.it · checked 2026-09-23
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- 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
- 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
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q111353 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
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.