Top expat cities

Germany

Cologne

#5 Top 5 cities

Cologne is friendly and well connected, fitting people who want a large city with a softer edge than Berlin or Munich.

Country overview

Population

1 024 621

Year-round temperatures

Day: 5°C až 25°C

Night: 1°C až 15°C

Climate

Mild western European climate with a relatively gentle winter and warm summer.

Distance to the sea

215 km

Social atmosphere

7/10

Costs

Housing cost 4/10
Food cost 4/10

Business friendliness

7/10

Safety

7/10

Cologne is broadly safe, but station and event pickpocketing, bicycle theft, nightlife incidents, demonstrations, and crowded-place security risk lower its score.

Natural disaster resilience

5/10

Cologne has meaningful Rhine flood exposure plus flash flooding, heatwaves, drought, storms, and hail; strong warning and response systems limit but do not remove disruption.

Other scores

Other scores

Internet availability 9/10
Internet speed 8/10
Internet stability 8/10
Electricity stability 9/10

Community types

  • Corporate expats
  • Students
  • Creatives
  • Couples

Largest nationality groups

  • 🇹🇷Turkish
  • 🇮🇹Italians
  • 🇺🇸Americans
  • 🇬🇧British

Pros / Cons

Pros

  • +Good transport links
  • +Pleasant atmosphere
  • +International environment

Cons

  • −Higher living costs
  • −Noise