Townleap

Cost of Living: Split vs Stuttgart (2026)

Croatia vs Germany — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Split
Stuttgart
$1,077/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,157/mo
−$9k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$17k/yr
PR path
5 yr
Freelance setup
Obrt
  • VAT-free under €40k
  • 37% social
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Freiberufler
  • VAT-free under €25k
  • €1200/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated June 2026

TL;DRStuttgart scores 8.7 vs 6.5 on democracy. Split summers average 86°F vs 75°F. You can get by in English in both — your Duolingo streak can wait.
Stuttgart scores 85 to Split's 70 on livability — the gap is real. Split has its charms, but the numbers favor Stuttgart.
How the livability score breaks down
Split
Stuttgart
18.5/25
💰 Affordability
17.7/25
14.2/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.7/15
7/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
6.6/10
5.3/15
Internet
15/15
9.8/15
🗳️ Democracy
13.1/15
8.9/10
🗣️ English
8.8/10
7.7/10
☀️ Climate
9.7/10
7/10
📊 Stability
7.7/10
7/10
🚗 Road Safety
9.8/10
5.9/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
7.9/10
Household
Split
Metric
Stuttgart
$670/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$829/mo
$5,244
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
78 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
88 / 100
0.8 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.3 / 100k
8.1 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
3.3 / 100k
70 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
66 / 100
86°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
75°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
32°F
Internet speed
higher is better
224 Mbps
8.9 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
9.2 μg/m³
77 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
85 / 100
6.5 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.7 / 10
1.8 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.1 / 9
50 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
66 / 100
74/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
73/100
$50k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$74k
3.0% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.3% · Boringly steady
Grid reliability
higher is better
98/100 — Reliable
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
95/100
A median Software Engineer in Split takes home $2,122/mo under Standard employee. In Stuttgart: $4,519/mo under Standard employee.
$2,397/mo more in Stuttgart
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$38k
💰
Gross income
$95k
−$5k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$22k
−$8k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$18k
$25k/yr
$2k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$54k/yr
$5k/mo
−$34k
🏠
Cost of living
−$38k
−$9k/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 June 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Split
$81/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Stuttgart
0.3 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Stuttgart
8.7/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
86°F vs 75°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

59% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
37% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.9h
Shortest day
Dec
8.3h
15.4h
Longest day
Jun
16.1h

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

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

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
improving
Inflation trend
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
EU visa
Easy
RU visa
Complex
UA visa
Moderate
Conditional (3+ yr)
izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)
Partner pathway
Not recognized
eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft (now: Ehe)

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
12 wk

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

Not punishable within 12 weeks with mandatory counseling and 3-day waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union
Marriage
Legal
Step-child only
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Split vs Stuttgart — Common Questions

Is Split cheaper than Stuttgart?

Split is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1077/month there vs $1157/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Split or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Split has a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 and Stuttgart has 0.33 per 100,000.

Should I move to Split or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart scores 85 to Split's 70 on livability — the gap is real. Split has its charms, but the numbers favor Stuttgart. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Which has better weather, Split or Stuttgart?

Split is warmer in summer (86°F vs 75°F). Stuttgart 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 Split vs Stuttgart?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1077/month in Split, $1157/month in Stuttgart (Numbeo). That's 7% cheaper rent in Split.

Is Split or Stuttgart better for democracy and rule of law?

Stuttgart scores 8.7/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Split or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart scores higher on our composite healthcare index (85/100 vs 77/100 for Split). 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.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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