Cost of Living: Ljubljana vs Salzburg (2026)

Slovenia vs Austria — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Ljubljana

Salzburg

$1,118/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,537/mo

—

PR path

5 yr

—

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

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

Freelance setup

—

EPU

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

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRLjubljana is 27% cheaper on rent ($1,118/mo vs $1,537/mo). Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.

Ljubljana and Salzburg are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

How the livability score breaks down

Ljubljana

Salzburg

18.1/25

💰 Affordability

14.1/25

14.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.1/15

7.8/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

8/10

9.7/15

⚡ Internet

5.3/15

11.7/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.4/15

8.7/10

🗣️ English

8.9/10

9/10

☀️ Climate

9.6/10

8/10

📊 Stability

7.1/10

4.3/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.1/10

8.4/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇦🇹 Salzburg

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Vienna vs Salzburg

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Ljubljana

Metric

Salzburg

✓$701/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$978/mo

—

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,943

86 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

88 / 100

✓0.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.9 / 100k

—

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.6 / 100k

78 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

80 / 100

81°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

30°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

28°F

130 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

—

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

8.6 μg/m³

—

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

7.8 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10✓

4.4 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.1 / 9✓

50 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100

72/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

74/100

$57k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$74k✓

✓2.0% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

—

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

93/100

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

Ljubljana

$418/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Ljubljana

0.6 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Salzburg

8.3/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

81°F vs 75°F summers

🗣️

English

Salzburg

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

47% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

37% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.8h

Shortest day

Dec

8.5h

15.7h

Longest day

Jun

15.9h

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

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

Settler Essentials

—

Democracy trend

—

Inflation trend

stable →

—

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

—

EU visa

Easy

—

RU visa

Moderate

—

UA visa

Moderate

—

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

izvenzakonska skupnost (extramarital community)

Partner pathway

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

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

10 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

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

Legal within first trimester. Counseling 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

Ljubljana vs Salzburg — Common Questions

Is Ljubljana cheaper than Salzburg?▾

Ljubljana is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1118/month there vs $1537/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Ljubljana or Salzburg?▾

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

Should I move to Ljubljana or Salzburg?▾

Ljubljana and Salzburg are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. 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 Ljubljana or Salzburg?▾

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

Which has better weather, Ljubljana or Salzburg?▾

Ljubljana is warmer in summer (81°F vs 75°F). Salzburg has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1118/month in Ljubljana, $1537/month in Salzburg (Numbeo). That's 27% cheaper rent in Ljubljana.