Cost of Living: Graz vs Ljubljana (2026)

Austria vs Slovenia — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Graz

Ljubljana

$772/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,118/mo

5 yr

PR path

—

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

—

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRGraz is 31% cheaper on rent ($772/mo vs $1,118/mo). Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.

Too close to call — 80 vs 77. Graz has a slight edge, but Ljubljana might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Graz

Ljubljana

21.4/25

💰 Affordability

18.1/25

14.1/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.4/15

7.3/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.8/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

9.7/15

12.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

11.7/15

8.9/10

🗣️ English

8.7/10

9.9/10

☀️ Climate

9/10

7.1/10

📊 Stability

8/10

9.1/10

🚗 Road Safety

4.3/10

8.8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.4/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Graz

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Vienna vs Graz

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Graz

Metric

Ljubljana

$909/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$701/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

0.6 / 100k✓

4.6 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

—

73 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

78 / 100✓

77°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

81°F

27°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

30°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

130 Mbps

15.1 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

—

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

—

✓8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

7.8 / 10

✓6.1 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

4.4 / 9

50 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100

74/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

72/100

✓$74k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$57k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.0% · Boringly steady✓

93/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

—

See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

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

💰

Cost of Living

Graz

$346/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Ljubljana

0.6 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Graz

8.3/10 EIU index

🗣️

English

Graz

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

40% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

47% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.6h

Shortest day

Dec

8.8h

15.8h

Longest day

Jun

15.7h

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

—

Easy

EU visa

—

Moderate

RU visa

—

Moderate

UA visa

—

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

—

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

Partner pathway

Recognized

izvenzakonska skupnost (extramarital community)

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

10 wk

Legal within first trimester. Counseling required.

On request up to 10 weeks. From 10-20 weeks, approval by a medical committee required.

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 Ljubljana — Common Questions

Is Graz cheaper than Ljubljana?▾

Graz is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $772/month there vs $1118/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Graz or Ljubljana?▾

Ljubljana is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Graz has a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 and Ljubljana has 0.57 per 100,000.

Should I move to Graz or Ljubljana?▾

Too close to call — 80 vs 77. Graz has a slight edge, but Ljubljana might suit you better depending on your priorities. 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 Ljubljana?▾

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

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $772/month in Graz, $1118/month in Ljubljana (Numbeo). That's 31% cheaper rent in Graz.