Townleap

Cost of Living: Graz vs Tbilisi (2026)

Austria vs Georgia — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Graz
Tbilisi
$772/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$681/mo
$11k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$17k/yr
5 yr
PR path
6 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
Small Business Status
  • VAT-free under €33k
  • 2% social
  • €350/yr accountant

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRTbilisi is 12% cheaper on rent ($681/mo vs $772/mo). Austria gets you to permanent residency a year faster (5 vs 6 years). Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.
Graz scores 80 to Tbilisi's 66 on livability — the gap is real. Tbilisi has its charms, but the numbers favor Graz.
How the livability score breaks down
Graz
Tbilisi
21.4/25
💰 Affordability
22.3/25
14.1/15
🔒 Violent Crime
12.7/15
7.3/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
7.4/10
5.3/15
⚡ Internet
3.4/15
12.4/15
🗳️ Democracy
7.1/15
8.9/10
🗣️ English
6.4/10
9.9/10
☀️ Climate
8/10
7.1/10
📊 Stability
8.9/10
9.1/10
🚗 Road Safety
4.3/10
8.8/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
5.3/10
Household
Graz
Metric
Tbilisi
$909/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$358/mo✓
$4,786
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$2,453✓
✓87 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
62 / 100
✓0.9 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
2.3 / 100k
✓4.6 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
12.7 / 100k
73 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
74 / 100
77°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
84°F
27°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
30°F
—
⚡
Internet speed
higher is better
45 Mbps
15.1 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
10.9 μg/m³✓
✓85 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
63 / 100
✓8.3 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
4.7 / 10
✓6.1 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
3.0 / 9
✓50 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
12 / 100
✓74/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
39/100
✓$74k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$28k
2.9% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
1.1% · Boringly steady✓
—
⚡
Grid reliability
higher is better
57/100 — Patchy
✓93/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
51/100
A median Software Engineer in Graz takes home $3,610/mo under Standard employee. In Tbilisi: $3,292/mo under Standard employee.
$318/mo more in Graz
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
$51k
−$24k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$10k
−$15k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$1k
✓$43k/yr
$4k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$40k/yr
$3k/mo
−$32k
🏠
Cost of living
−$22k
$11k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$17k/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
Tbilisi
$90/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Graz
0.9 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Graz
8.3/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
—
77°F vs 84°F summers
🗣️
English
Graz
higher proficiency score
📋
Residency
Graz
PR in 5 years

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
9.1h
15.8h
Longest day
Jun
15.2h

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

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

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend
declining ↓
stable →
Inflation trend
improving ↑
—
Industries
tech-outsourcingfintechtourismigaming
—
Startup ecosystem
nascent
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Easy
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Moderate
RU visa
Easy
Moderate
UA visa
Easy
✅ Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
⚠️ Needs a separate work permit
Not recognized
eingetragene Partnerschaft
Partner pathway
—

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.

On request up to 12 weeks. 2024 anti-LGBTQ legislation worsened overall rights climate.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Not recognized
Joint adoption
Adoption
Not allowed
Yes
Job protection
No
Yes
Hate crime law
No

Graz vs Tbilisi — Common Questions

Is Graz cheaper than Tbilisi?▾

Tbilisi is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $681/month there vs $772/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Graz or Tbilisi?▾

Graz is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Graz has a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 and Tbilisi has 2.33 per 100,000.

Should I move to Graz or Tbilisi?▾

Graz scores 80 to Tbilisi's 66 on livability — the gap is real. Tbilisi has its charms, but the numbers favor Graz. 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 Tbilisi?▾

Graz: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). Tbilisi: Remotely from Georgia (easy to get, Up to 1 year). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Graz or Tbilisi?▾

Tbilisi is warmer in summer (84°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 Tbilisi without speaking the local language?▾

Graz is easier for street-level English (74/100) than Tbilisi (39/100). 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 Tbilisi?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $681/month in Tbilisi, $772/month in Graz (Numbeo). That's 12% cheaper rent in Tbilisi.

Is Graz or Tbilisi better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Graz scores 8.3/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 4.7/10 for Tbilisi. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Graz or Tbilisi?▾

Graz scores higher on our composite healthcare index (85/100 vs 63/100 for Tbilisi). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

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