Cost of Living: Graz vs Marseille (2026)

Austria vs France — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Graz

Marseille

$772/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$902/mo

$11k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$15k/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

Micro-entrepreneur

VAT-free under €38k
22% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRGraz is 14% cheaper on rent ($772/mo vs $902/mo). Graz is safer — homicide rate 0.9 vs 1.6 per 100k. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

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

How the livability score breaks down

Graz

Marseille

21.4/25

💰 Affordability

20.2/25

14.1/15

🔒 Violent Crime

13.4/15

7.3/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

3.3/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

12.7/15

12.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

12/15

8.9/10

🗣️ English

6.3/10

9.9/10

☀️ Climate

8.8/10

7.1/10

📊 Stability

8/10

9.1/10

🚗 Road Safety

9/10

8.8/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

6.1/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Graz

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇫🇷 Marseille

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Paris vs Marseille

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Graz

Metric

Marseille

$909/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$700/mo✓

$4,786

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$3,775✓

✓87 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

75 / 100

✓0.9 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.6 / 100k

4.6 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.7 / 100k

✓73 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

33 / 100

77°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

81°F

27°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

39°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

169 Mbps

15.1 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

7.7 μg/m³✓

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

85 / 100

8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.0 / 10

6.1 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.5 / 9✓

50 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

62 / 100✓

✓74/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100

✓$74k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$63k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.0% · Boringly steady✓

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

93/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

A median Software Engineer in Graz takes home $3,610/mo under Standard employee. In Marseille: $3,957/mo under Standard employee.

$347/mo more in Marseille

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

$66k

−$24k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$12k

−$15k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

$43k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$47k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$32k

🏠

Cost of living

−$33k

$11k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$15k/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

$131/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Graz

0.9 homicides per 100k

☀️

Weather

—

77°F vs 81°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

9.0h

15.8h

Longest day

Jun

15.4h

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

logisticstourismmaritimetech

—

Startup ecosystem

nascent

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Moderate

RU visa

Complex

Moderate

UA visa

Easy

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

—

Retiree visa

€1,767/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. Enshrined as a constitutional right in March 2024.

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 Marseille — Common Questions

Is Graz cheaper than Marseille?▾

Graz is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $772/month there vs $902/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Graz or Marseille?▾

Graz is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Graz has a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 and Marseille has 1.56 per 100,000.

Should I move to Graz or Marseille?▾

Too close to call — 80 vs 77. Graz has a slight edge, but Marseille 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 Marseille?▾

Graz: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). Marseille: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Graz or Marseille?▾

Marseille is warmer in summer (81°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 Marseille without speaking the local language?▾

Graz is easier for street-level English (74/100) than Marseille (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 Marseille?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $772/month in Graz, $902/month in Marseille (Numbeo). That's 14% cheaper rent in Graz.