Living in Žilina

Car density was 329.9 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2021. Žilina had a population of 79,873 at the start of 2026. The available figures cover housing, employment and car density from 2008–2021, alongside population and migration counts from 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-0219 sources

Population79,873people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official statistics: population

Median gross salary (region)1,900EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · slovak.statistics.sk

Average net rent4.83EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2004Official source · Eurostat

Unemployment rate11.49%country median 4.1% — 178% aboveOfficial source · Official statistics: unemployment rate

Recorded crime1,300incidents per 100,000country median 1,100 — 18% aboveOfficial source · MuMAP, Quality of Life — Safety: number of crimes per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025

PM2.5, annual mean15µg/m³31 Dec 2025Official source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — SK 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement

Which Slovakia-wide rules apply when you move to Žilina?

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 SlovakiaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Žilina.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The purchase price was €1,938 per m² in 2021. Living space averaged 22.6 m² per person in 2011. The housing-vacancy rate was 5.84% in 2011.

How much does it cost to rent in Žilina?

Average net cold rent is 4.83 EUR/m² per month (2004), 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): 4.83 EUR/m²/month · Eurostat²

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€400

Utilities, 85 m² flat€207

Fitness club€33

Mobile plan, 10 GB€28

Transport pass€25

Internet, 60 Mbps€21

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps, Mobile plan, 10 GB. The others are published prices.

Net rent across major citiesŽilina highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Žilina€4.83

Prešov€4.67

Nitra€3.93

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	32.5 EUR/month	1 Jul 2026	Numbeo cost of living — Žilina¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	20.5 EUR/month	1 Jul 2026	Numbeo cost of living — Žilina¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	400 EUR/month	1 Jul 2026	Numbeo cost of living — Žilina¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12 EUR	1 Jul 2026	Numbeo cost of living — Žilina¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	27.8 EUR/month	1 Jul 2026	Numbeo cost of living — Žilina¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	25 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic¹³Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	206.7 EUR/month	1 Jul 2026	Numbeo cost of living — Žilina¹⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Housing vacancy rate	5.84 %	2011	Official statistics: living space per resident⁶Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	4.83 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2004	Eurostat²Official
Residential purchase price per m²	1,938 EUR/m²	2021	Official statistics: living space per resident⁶Official

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €691 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €1,900, that leaves €1,209 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Žilina salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €691 basket · median gross salary €1,900/month

€1,209 left of €1,900

Net rent, 85 m² · 59%€411
Utilities, 85 m² · 30%€207
Transport pass · 4%€25
Internet and mobile · 7%€48

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €691 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-08-27).

Is Žilina 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 air quality · range 39–55%

Skilled employee54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–62%

Student54%strong on education, weak on work · range 47–61%

Family56%strong on safety, weak on legal route · range 48–64%

Retirement54%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 44–64%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 290 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 4.83 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: 2004

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 11.5% in 2009. The primary employment category was “Employment (jobs) in trade, transport, hotels, restaurants (NACE Rev. 2, G to I)” in 2020. The work measure is older than the population and migration counts, so the periods are shown separately.

What is the unemployment rate in Žilina?

The unemployment rate is about 11.5 % (2009).

Unemployment rate: 11.49 % · Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁰

Unemployment across cities in SlovakiaUnemployment in Žilina is 11.5%. Of 143 cities with data, 99 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

0–55–1010–1525–30

Žilina 11.5%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	1,900 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	slovak.statistics.sk¹²Official
Unemployment rate	11.49 %country median 4.1%	2009	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁰Official

Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2001–2009

6.8%

10.1%

13.4%

16.7%

11.5%2001200520072009

Unemployment rate fell 28.1% between 2001 and 2009, from 16.0% to 11.5%.

What does a salary buy in Žilina?

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

Left over each month€854of €1,424 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.	€1,424
Rent, 60 m²€4.83/m² · official · Eurostat · 2004-12-31	− €290
Public transport pass€25 · official · Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic · 2024-12-31	− €25
Utilities, 85 m²€207 · market price · Numbeo cost of living · 2026-07-01	− €207
Internet€21 · market price · Numbeo cost of living · 2026-07-01	− €21
Mobile plan€28 · market price · Numbeo cost of living · 2026-07-01	− €28
Left over	€854

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

Public employment service

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

Country-level information

Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family — Public employment service

Ústredie práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny

Job SearchTraining

Search jobs

Open the Slovakia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Žilina. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Žilina?

Police recorded 1,300 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MuMAP, Quality of Life — Safety: number of crimes per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025⁴

Recorded crime across major citiesŽilina highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Žilina1,300

Banská Bystrica1,200

Petržalka1,100

Nitra1,100

Trnava1,100

Martin1,000

Trenčín900

Prešov800

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	1,300 incidents per 100,000country median 1,100	31 Dec 2025	MuMAP, Quality of Life — Safety: number of crimes per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025⁴Official

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Nearest airport	ILZ	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹¹Official
Distance to nearest airport	9 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹¹Official

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Integration of third-country nationals including migrants — national project — Integration course

Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic

For third-country nationals, migrants.

SlovakIn Person

Open official information

Integration policy of the Slovak Republic — Welcome Program

Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic / Government of Slovakia

For foreigners with long-term residence, third-country nationals.

SlovakIn Person

Open official information

Open the full Slovakia section

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

Find courses near Žilina

Climate and air quality

Annual precipitation was 672 mm in 2008. Annual NO₂ was 26.5 µg/m³ in 2012. Annual PM10 was 34.9 µg/m³ in 2012.

Is the air quality good in Žilina?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 15 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — SK 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement¹

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°

1°-5°

4°-4°

9°-1°

16°3°

20°8°

24°11°

26°13°

20°9°

15°5°

8°1°

2°-4°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

126

179

212

229

244

236

154

107

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

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

PM2.515WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1034.9WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂26.5WHO 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	26.5 µg/m³	2012	Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean⁷Official
PM10 — annual mean	34.9 µg/m³	2012	Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean⁷Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	15 µg/m³	31 Dec 2025	EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — SK 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement¹Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 1.4 · Feb 4.2 · Mar 9.1 · Apr 15.9 · May 20.4 · Jun 23.9 · Jul 25.8 · Aug 25.9 · Sep 20.2 · Oct 14.6 · Nov 8.2 · Dec 2.3 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -5 · Feb -4.3 · Mar -1.3 · Apr 3 · May 7.7 · Jun 11.3 · Jul 13 · Aug 12.6 · Sep 8.7 · Oct 4.6 · Nov 1 · Dec -3.5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -2 · Feb -0.5 · Mar 3.3 · Apr 9.1 · May 13.8 · Jun 17.4 · Jul 18.9 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 13.5 · Oct 8.7 · Nov 4.3 · Dec -0.6 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 46.9 · Feb 40.1 · Mar 45.5 · Apr 46.5 · May 74.3 · Jun 83.9 · Jul 93.7 · Aug 77.9 · Sep 68.9 · Oct 62.8 · Nov 51 · Dec 48.3 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 48.8 · Feb 72.6 · Mar 125.5 · Apr 179 · May 212.1 · Jun 228.5 · Jul 243.8 · Aug 235.7 · Sep 154.1 · Oct 106.7 · Nov 52.9 · Dec 40.5 hours	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Annual precipitation	672 mm	2008	Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean⁷Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Žilina?

The published population was 79,873 people in January 2026. Source: Official statistics: population⁸

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport98.5%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	329.9 cars/1000 residents	2021	Official statistics: cars per 1,000 residents⁵Official
City area	80.04 km²	31 Dec 2024	Eurostat GISCO, European Commission³Official
Foreign-resident share	1.47 %	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population⁸Official
Foreign residents	1,174 people	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population⁸Official
Population density	1,033 people/km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021)¹⁴Official
Population	79,873 people	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population⁸Official
Students as a share of residents	9.82 %	2020	Official statistics: students as a share of residents⁹Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2026

79,425

81,592

83,758

85,925

79,87320012007201120172026

Population fell 6.5% between 2001 and 2026, from 85,400 to 79,873.

Foreign residents over time11 published observations, 2012–2026

949

1,279

1,608

1,938

1,174201220142016201820202026

Foreign residents rose 2.2% between 2012 and 2026, from 1,149 to 1,174.

International community in Žilina

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

Country of birth

Population covered by the Slovak 2021 Census basic-result tables; total published row for each official municipality/urban-part geography · SODB 2021 Population and Housing Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	82,656	100.0%
inhabitants born in Slovak Republic	78,809	95.3%
inhabitants born abroad	3,572	4.3%
not found out	275	0.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁵

Citizenship

Population covered by the Slovak 2021 Census basic-result tables; total published row for each official municipality/urban-part geography · SODB 2021 Population and Housing Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	82,656	100.0%
inhabitants with the citizenship of the Slovak Republic	81,602	98.7%
foreigners	1,017	1.2%
not found out	37	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁶

Ancestry or ethnicity

Population covered by the Slovak 2021 Census basic-result tables; total published row for each official municipality/urban-part geography · SODB 2021 Population and Housing Census

Published group	People	Share
Czech	487	24.3%
Slovak	297	14.8%
Russian	104	5.2%
Romani	102	5.1%
Ruthenian	91	4.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁷

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Living space per resident	22.6 m²/person	2011	Official statistics: living space per resident⁶Official
Median age	44.8 years	1 Jan 2026	Official statistics: population⁸Official
Largest employment sector	Employment (jobs) in trade, transport, hotels, restaurants (NACE Rev. 2, G to I)	2020	Official statistics: unemployment rate¹⁰Official

Alternatives for people set on Žilina

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.

Nitra as a Žilina alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

Nearest airport: 40.0 km Nitra vs 9.0 km Žilina+344%
Rent: €3.93/m² Nitra vs €4.83/m² Žilina−19%
Empty flats: 8.2% Nitra vs 5.8% Žilina+41%
Unemployment: 9.5% Nitra vs 11.5% Žilina−17%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,100 Nitra vs 1,300 Žilina−15%
Median gross pay, region: €1,800 Nitra vs €1,900 Žilina−5%
Foreign residents: 1.6% Nitra vs 1.5% Žilina+10%

Full comparison More about Nitra

Vilnius as a Žilina alternative in another country

Better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Rent: €12.16/m² (2024) Vilnius vs €4.83/m² (2004) Žilinano percentage
Annual PM2.5: 11.0 µg/m³ Vilnius vs 15.0 µg/m³ Žilina−27%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,929 Vilnius vs 1,300 Žilinano percentage
Nearest airport: 6.0 km Vilnius vs 9.0 km Žilina−33%

Full comparison More about Vilnius

Alternative cities in Slovakia

Other cities in Slovakia to compare with Žilina, nearest in population first.

All Slovakia cities

Prešov81,223 residents Nitra75,301 residents Banská Bystrica73,054 residents Trnava63,184 residents Petržalka112,118 residents Trenčín54,104 residents

How does Žilina compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Žilina in rankings

#5 of 30 in Largest cities in Slovakia #30 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Slovakia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Žilina 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.

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: jazykové kurzy pre deti cudzincov (language courses for children of foreigners, organised and funded by self-governing regions). How to enrol a child (minedu.sk).

A country-wide rule for Slovakia; Žilina's school authority applies it locally.

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

Put Žilina'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.

Is Žilina expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €691 against a median gross salary of €1,900, leaving about €1,209 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.

How many people live in Žilina?

The published population was 79,873 people in January 2026. Source: Official statistics: population.

How much does it cost to rent in Žilina?

Average net cold rent is 4.83 EUR/m² per month (2004), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 338 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Eurostat.

Is the air quality good in Žilina?

How safe is Žilina?

What is the unemployment rate in Žilina?

The unemployment rate is about 11.5 % (2009). Source: Official statistics: unemployment rate.

What is the typical salary around Žilina?

The median gross salary is 1,900 EUR/month. Source: slovak.statistics.sk.

Is Žilina a good place to live?

Žilina 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.

How many people born in inhabitants born in Slovak Republic live in Žilina?

The official country of birth distribution records 78,809 people (95.3%) in the source-defined population for SODB 2021 Population and Housing 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). Žilina, Slovakia: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b054e035cda5f47fad34e3c90862661d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/sk/zilina/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_zilina-slovakia-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_107f7d6044ba,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Žilina, Slovakia: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b054e035cda5f47fad34e3c90862661d},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/sk/zilina/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Žilina, Slovakia: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/sk/zilina/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b054e035cda5f47fad34e3c90862661d; 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

EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — SK 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-27
Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
MuMAP, Quality of Life — Safety: number of crimes per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025 MuMAP, Quality of Life · mumap.nku.gov.sk · checked 2026-09-28
Official statistics: cars per 1,000 residents ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: living space per resident ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: population krajskemesta.statistics.sk · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: students as a share of residents ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: unemployment rate ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18

Show 9 more sources

OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
slovak.statistics.sk slovak.statistics.sk · checked 2026-08-27
Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic data.statistics.sk · checked 2026-08-07
Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-03
Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-30
Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-30
Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) ancestry or ethnicity distribution scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-28
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-29
Numbeo cost of living — Žilina Numbeo cost of living · de.numbeo.com · 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.