🇦🇹 Austria · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Graz? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, central (Innere Stadt, Geidorf, Lend)EUR 620–950 / month, gross including Betriebskosten
Electricity, gas and internet, one personEUR 100–170 / month on top of Betriebskosten
Groceries, one personEUR 280–400 / month
Mittagsmenü — weekday set lunch at a GasthausEUR 10–15
Good to know
Population
≈300,000 in the city; roughly one resident in six is a student across four universities and several Fachhochschulen
Languages
German, in a broad Styrian variety that is noticeably harder for learners than Viennese. English is fine at the universities and the engineering employers, thin elsewhere
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late October
Power plug
Type F (Schuko) and Type C, 230 V / 50 Hz
Climate
Warmer and sunnier than Vienna in summer, with a basin location that traps cold, damp, still air in winter and holds particulates with it
Air quality
Greater Graz is a designated remediation area for particulates and NO2 under the Immissionsschutzgesetz-Luft — restrictions on solid-fuel secondary heating can be triggered in winter
Getting around
Compact enough to cross on foot in half an hour; trams and buses run by Holding Graz, and cycling is normal year-round
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Graz checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Graz
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.