Graz vs Vienna
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Vienna edges it, 69 to 66, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Graz is stronger on nothing outright; Vienna on getting there & around, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Austria's student city with a Mediterranean lean
Full Graz profile →Where to stay in Graz →Repeatedly the world's most livable city
Full Vienna profile →Where to stay in Vienna →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Vienna leads on getting there & around, 93 to 68, against Graz. Non-stop airport destinations: 29 vs 204.
- Air quality. Vienna leads on air quality, 90 to 78, against Graz. PM2.5: 14.8 µg/m³ vs 9.7 µg/m³.
- Cost of living. Graz leads on cost of living, 32 to 26, against Vienna. Monthly cost, one person: $2,069 vs $2,407.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Graz if you want
- to spend about $338 less a month
Pick Vienna if you want
- cleaner air
- more flights and easier getting around
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 32 ✓ | 26 |
| Safety | 78 | 78 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 65 | 66 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 68 | 93 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 78 | 90 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 92 | 92 |
Cost
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,069 ✓ | $2,407 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $860 ✓ | $1,261 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.99 | 0.99 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 74.9 | 74.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 |
| Life expectancy | 81 yrs | 81 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 31.2 Mbps | 33.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps ✓ | 9.5 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 29 | 204 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Graz | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14.8 µg/m³ | 9.7 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Graz or Vienna?
- Graz is cheaper: about $2,069 per month versus $2,407 for one person.
- Is Graz or Vienna safer?
- Graz scores higher on safety (78 vs 78), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Graz or Vienna?
- Vienna: a measured median of 33.9 Mbps versus 31.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.