Kosice City Guide

Slovakia's second-largest city and the metropolis of the country's east, Košice has emerged as one of Central Europe's strongest catch-up property markets. With a population around 230,000, a Gothic old town centred on St Elizabeth's Cathedral, a major steelworks (U.S. Steel Košice), a growing IT and shared-services cluster, and over 50 recent startups, the city combines industrial heft with a young, mobile workforce. Property values surged in 2025, with prices per square metre rising about 20% year-on-year to roughly EUR 2,500, the fastest regional growth in Slovakia alongside neighbouring Presov, yet Košice remains markedly cheaper than Bratislava. Rental yields run above the national average at around 5.2%, with well-positioned two- and three-room apartments among the best performers; rents of roughly EUR 720 per month are the highest of Slovakia's regional cities, supported by an occupancy rate near 85%. As a Eurozone member, Slovakia offers currency stability, and a planned Volvo electric-vehicle plant in the wider eastern region (production targeted for 2027) is expected to add further housing demand. For investors, Košice offers Bratislava-adjacent fundamentals at a meaningful discount with clear appreciation momentum.