Cost of Living: Graz vs Madrid (2026)

Austria vs Spain — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Graz

Madrid

$772/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,498/mo

$11k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$9k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

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

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial), Startups Law — Entrepreneur & Remote-Worker Route into Beckham (Limited)

Freelance setup

EPU

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

WiseStripe

Autónomo

No VAT exemption
€1800/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRGraz is 48% cheaper on rent ($772/mo vs $1,498/mo). Madrid summers average 88°F vs 77°F. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Graz edges ahead 80 to 72. Madrid isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Graz

Madrid

21.4/25

💰 Affordability

14.4/25

14.1/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.4/15

7.3/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.1/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

7.1/15

12.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.2/15

8.9/10

🗣️ English

6.3/10

9.9/10

☀️ Climate

6.8/10

7.1/10

📊 Stability

7.2/10

9.1/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.7/10

8.8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

7.7/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Graz

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇪🇸 Madrid

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Barcelona vs Madrid

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Graz

Metric

Madrid

$909/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$627/mo✓

✓$4,786

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,448

87 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

87 / 100

0.9 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.6 / 100k✓

4.6 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

3.5 / 100k✓

73 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

71 / 100

77°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

88°F

27°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

34°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

94 Mbps

15.1 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

9.1 μg/m³✓

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

86 / 100

8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.1 / 10

6.1 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.4 / 9✓

50 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

76 / 100✓

✓74/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100

✓$74k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$58k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.8% · Boringly steady✓

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

70/100 — Mostly stable

93/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

A median Software Engineer in Graz takes home $3,610/mo under Standard employee. In Madrid: $4,068/mo under Standard employee.

$457/mo more in Madrid

🎯 Madrid's Beckham Law (Régimen Especial) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $4,280/mo instead.

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

$73k

−$24k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$20k

−$15k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$4k

$43k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$49k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$32k

🏠

Cost of living

−$40k

✓$11k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$9k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰

Cost of Living

Graz

$726/mo cheaper on rent alone

☀️

Weather

—

77°F vs 88°F summers

🗣️

English

Graz

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

40% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.6h

Shortest day

Dec

9.3h

15.8h

Longest day

Jun

15.1h

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

improving ↑

—

Industries

financeconsultingtechmedia

—

Startup ecosystem

hub

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Moderate

RU visa

Complex

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

pareja de hecho

—

Retiree visa

€2,400/mo

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

14 wk

Legal within first trimester. Counseling required.

On request up to 14 weeks. 2023 reform removed mandatory 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 Madrid — Common Questions

Is Graz cheaper than Madrid?▾

Graz is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $772/month there vs $1498/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Graz or Madrid?▾

Madrid is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Graz has a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 and Madrid has 0.61 per 100,000.

Should I move to Graz or Madrid?▾

Graz edges ahead 80 to 72. Madrid 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 Madrid?▾

Graz: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). Madrid: Spain Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable to 5)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Graz or Madrid?▾

Madrid is warmer in summer (88°F vs 77°F). Graz has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Graz or Madrid without speaking the local language?▾

Graz is easier for street-level English (74/100) than Madrid (38/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $772/month in Graz, $1498/month in Madrid (Numbeo). That's 48% cheaper rent in Graz.