ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data
On this page

Living in Žilina

Žilina is a city in Slovakia. 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 2026-08-2718 sources

Population79,873people1 Jan 2026Official source · SK official material for population_total
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 · SK official material for unemployment_total_percent
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
Žilina recurring monthly 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; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesŽilina highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Žilina highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Žilina€4.83
Prešov€4.67
Nitra€3.93
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly32.5 EUR/month1 Jul 2026Numbeo cost of living — Žilina18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited20.5 EUR/month1 Jul 2026Numbeo cost of living — Žilina18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly400 EUR/month1 Jul 2026Numbeo cost of living — Žilina18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12 EUR1 Jul 2026Numbeo cost of living — Žilina18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB27.8 EUR/month1 Jul 2026Numbeo cost of living — Žilina18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass25 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic12Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home206.7 EUR/month1 Jul 2026Numbeo cost of living — Žilina18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Housing Vacancy Rate Percent5.84 %2011SK official material for living_space_per_capita_m27Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)4.83 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2004Eurostat2Official
Rent Buy Price Eur Per M21,938 EUR/m²2021SK official material for living_space_per_capita_m27Official

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
  • 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 worker45%strong on work, weak on safety · range 36–54%
Skilled employee52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–60%
Student50%strong on education, weak on safety · range 42–58%
Family47%strong on family, weak on safety · range 38–56%
Retirement49%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 38–60%

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 % · SK official material for unemployment_total_percent10
Unemployment across cities in SlovakiaUnemployment in Žilina is 11.5%. Of 143 cities with data, 99 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)1,900 EUR/month31 Dec 2025slovak.statistics.sk11Official
Unemployment rate11.49 %country median 4.1%2009SK official material for unemployment_total_percent10Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2001–2009

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.

regional median gross pay: €1,900 (slovak.statistics.sk, 2025-12-31).
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

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.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportILZ3 Aug 2026OurAirports4Official
Distance to nearest airport9 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports4Official

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 Personnot_published
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 Personnot_published
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
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean26.5 µg/m³2012SK official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m35Official
PM10 — annual mean34.9 µg/m³2012SK official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m35Official
PM2.5 — annual mean15 µg/m³31 Dec 2025EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — SK 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement1Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 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 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV17Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -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 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV17Official
Average temperature by monthJan -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 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV17Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 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 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV17Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 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 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV17Official
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm672 mm2008SK official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m35Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Žilina?

The published population was 79,873 people in January 2026. Source: SK official material for population_total8

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents329.9 cars/1000 residents2021SK official material for car_density_per_10006Official
City area80.04 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission3Official
Foreign-resident share1.47 %1 Jan 2026SK official material for population_total8Official
Foreign residents1,174 people1 Jan 2026SK official material for population_total8Official
Population density1,033 people/km²31 Dec 2021Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021)13Official
Population79,873 people1 Jan 2026SK official material for population_total8Official
Students as a share of residents9.82 %2020SK official material for student_population_share_percent9Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2026

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

Foreign residents over time11 published observations, 2012–2026

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 groupPeopleShare
Total82,656100.0%
inhabitants born in Slovak Republic78,80995.3%
inhabitants born abroad3,5724.3%
not found out2750.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14

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 groupPeopleShare
Total82,656100.0%
inhabitants with the citizenship of the Slovak Republic81,60298.7%
foreigners1,0171.2%
not found out370.0%

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

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 groupPeopleShare
Czech48724.3%
Slovak29714.8%
Russian1045.2%
Romani1025.1%
Ruthenian914.5%

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

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Living space per resident22.6 m²/person2011SK official material for living_space_per_capita_m27Official
Median age44.8 years1 Jan 2026SK official material for population_total8Official
Primary Economic SectorEmployment (jobs) in trade, transport, hotels, restaurants (NACE Rev. 2, G to I)2020SK official material for unemployment_total_percent10Official

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 4 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%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,800 Nitra vs €1,900 Žilina−5%
  • Foreign residents: 1.6% Nitra vs 1.5% Žilina+10%
  • Residents: 75,301 Nitra vs 79,873 Žilina−6%
Full comparisonMore 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 foreign residents 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%
  • Nearest airport: 6.0 km Vilnius vs 9.0 km Žilina−33%
  • Foreign residents: 8.0% (2024) Vilnius vs 1.5% (2026) Žilinano percentage
Full comparisonMore about Vilnius

Alternative cities in Slovakia

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

All Slovakia cities
Prešov81,223 residentsNitra75,301 residentsBanská Bystrica73,054 residentsTrnava63,184 residentsPetržalka112,118 residentsTrenčín54,104 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.

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 (figures), 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: SK official material for population_total.

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?

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 replacement.

What is the unemployment rate in Žilina?

The unemployment rate is about 11.5 % (2009). Source: SK official material for unemployment_total_percent.

What is the typical salary around Žilina?

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

How many foreign residents live in Žilina?

1,174 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: SK official material for population_total.

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 not found out live in Žilina?

The official country of birth distribution records 275 people (0.3%) 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, August 30). Žilina, Slovakia: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 81c3ecc3cbfc37cfdc0d281a2469d03c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/sk/zilina/ Retrieved 2026-08-30. 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 = {2026-08-30},
  version = {81c3ecc3cbfc37cfdc0d281a2469d03c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/sk/zilina/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-08-30. 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 81c3ecc3cbfc37cfdc0d281a2469d03c; retrieved 2026-08-30; built 2026-08-30.

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
  1. 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
  2. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-27
  3. Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. SK official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
  6. SK official material for car_density_per_1000 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
  7. SK official material for living_space_per_capita_m2 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
  8. SK official material for population_total krajskemesta.statistics.sk · checked 2026-07-18
  9. SK official material for student_population_share_percent ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
  10. SK official material for unemployment_total_percent ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Show 8 more sources
  1. slovak.statistics.sk slovak.statistics.sk · checked 2026-08-27
  2. Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic data.statistics.sk · checked 2026-08-07
  3. Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-30
  5. Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-30
  6. Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SODB 2021) ancestry_or_ethnicity distribution scitanie.sk · checked 2026-08-28
  7. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-29
  8. 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.