Cost of Living: Graz vs Leipzig (2026)

Austria vs Germany — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Graz

Leipzig

$772/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$800/mo

$11k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$22k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Zuzugsfreibetrag (Researcher Relocation Allowance), Flat-Rate Foreign Income Tax (Zuzugsbegünstigung)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

EPU

VAT-free under €42k
27% social
€1400/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Freiberufler

VAT-free under €25k
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated June 2026

TL;DRGraz and Leipzig are surprisingly similar on the numbers. Both cities will charge you about the same to exist.

Leipzig edges ahead 87 to 80. Graz isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Graz

Leipzig

21.4/25

💰 Affordability

21.2/25

14.1/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.2/15

7.3/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

5.8/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

15/15

12.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

13.1/15

8.9/10

🗣️ English

8.8/10

9.9/10

☀️ Climate

10/10

7.1/10

📊 Stability

7.7/10

9.1/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.8/10

8.8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

7.9/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇩🇪 Leipzig

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇦🇹 Graz

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Berlin vs Leipzig

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Graz

Metric

Leipzig

$909/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$815/mo✓

$4,786

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

—

87 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

86 / 100

0.9 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.8 / 100k✓

4.6 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

3.3 / 100k✓

✓73 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

58 / 100

77°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

77°F

27°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

32°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

214 Mbps

15.1 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

9.4 μg/m³✓

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.7 / 10✓

6.1 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.1 / 9✓

50 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

66 / 100✓

74/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

73/100

$74k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$74k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.3% · Boringly steady✓

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

98/100 — Reliable

93/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

95/100

A median Software Engineer in Graz takes home $3,610/mo under Standard employee. In Leipzig: $4,396/mo under Standard employee.

$786/mo more in Leipzig

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$82k

💰

Gross income

$92k

−$24k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$21k

−$15k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$18k

$43k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$53k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$32k

🏠

Cost of living

−$31k

$11k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$22k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated June 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Graz

$28/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Leipzig

8.7/10 EIU index

Sun

How much sky you actually get

40% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

35% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.6h

Shortest day

Dec

7.9h

15.8h

Longest day

Jun

16.5h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend

stable →

Inflation trend

—

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Moderate

RU visa

Complex

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

—

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

Partner pathway

Not recognized

eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft (now: Ehe)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

14 wk

Gestational limit

12 wk

Legal within first trimester. Counseling required.

Not punishable within 12 weeks with mandatory counseling and 3-day waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Graz vs Leipzig — Common Questions

Is Graz cheaper than Leipzig?▾

Graz is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $772/month there vs $800/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Graz or Leipzig?▾

Leipzig is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Graz has a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 and Leipzig has 0.82 per 100,000.

Should I move to Graz or Leipzig?▾

Leipzig edges ahead 87 to 80. Graz isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Graz or Leipzig?▾

Graz: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). Leipzig: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in Graz vs Leipzig?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $772/month in Graz, $800/month in Leipzig (Numbeo). That's 3% cheaper rent in Graz.