Cluj and Vilnius have just been named the best European cities for graduates to live and work, beating every Western capital. This August 2026 study by Edumentors examined cities across the EU and the UK to reveal the top 10 places where young graduates can settle after finishing their degrees.
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Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is the best place to start life after university, with rents under $600 and the lowest cost of living in Europe.
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Recent graduates in Essen, Germany, spend just 20% of their salary on rent, the lowest share of any city.
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Starting a career in Vilnius, Lithuania, is as easy as it gets, with 2 in 3 locals saying decent jobs are plenty.
The research examined nearly 60 cities across Europe to find where university graduates can settle down easily. The report measured factors like local job opportunity ratings, average monthly salaries, and one-bedroom city-centre rents. It also looked at overall cost of living, national youth unemployment for the 15 to 29 age group, and job vacancy rates. These figures were combined into a final score, revealing which cities give fresh graduates the most realistic chance at the job market.
Here's a look at the top 10 European cities for graduates:
|
City
|
Job Vacancy Rate % (Country)
|
Cost of Living Index (excl. rent)
|
Avg Monthly Net Salary
|
Rent 1 Bedroom Apartment
|
Youth Unemployment Rate % (Country)
|
Job Opportunity Satisfaction %
|
|
Cluj-Napoca
|
0.60
|
44.60
|
€1,156.55
|
€589.27
|
15.40
|
72.60
|
|
Vilnius
|
2.20
|
53.00
|
€1,686.90
|
€765.79
|
11.00
|
64.00
|
|
Hamburg
|
2.80
|
71.90
|
€3,127.99
|
€1,168.07
|
6.30
|
71.20
|
|
Gdansk
|
0.70
|
49.70
|
€1,683.71
|
€898.54
|
7.30
|
62.10
|
|
Munich
|
2.80
|
76.10
|
€3,613.50
|
€1,541.84
|
6.30
|
72.50
|
|
Leipzig
|
2.80
|
67.30
|
€2,676.49
|
€697.58
|
6.30
|
61.00
|
|
Warsaw
|
0.70
|
53.50
|
€1,944.20
|
€1,088.31
|
7.30
|
65.80
|
|
Prague
|
1.90
|
59.60
|
€2,095.75
|
€1,045.88
|
6.40
|
78.70
|
|
Tallinn
|
1.50
|
64.80
|
€1,967.17
|
€720.88
|
14.90
|
64.50
|
|
Essen
|
2.80
|
70.80
|
€2,708.73
|
€551.56
|
6.30
|
54.00
|
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Average monthly net salary: $1,157
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One-bedroom city-centre rent: $589
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Rent-to-salary ratio: 51%
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Job opportunity satisfaction: 72.6%
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Youth unemployment rate: 15.4%
Cluj-Napoca is the best European city for graduates right now. A one-bedroom apartment in the centre here costs under $600 a month, leaving workers with roughly half their salary after rent. On top of that, nearly 3 in 4 residents say it is easy to find a decent job locally, a rate that matches major Western European cities. Cluj also has the lowest cost of living index at just 44.6, meaning daily expenses are a fraction of what graduates face in places like London or Berlin.
2. Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius is the second-best city for fresh graduates. Job hunt here is unlikely to go on long, with 2 in 3 residents saying work opportunities are everywhere. These positions also pay decent salaries, averaging nearly $1.7K a month. Plus, rents around the downtown cost under $800, one of the most affordable rates in Europe. With all that, graduates here keep more than half their salary as disposable income each month.
3. Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg beats every other Western European city for graduates. Most of the workers earn over $3K per month, and with one-bedroom rents averaging under $1.2K, people here spend just 37% of their salary on housing. That ratio is better than most comparable cities can offer. Germany's national youth unemployment rate of 6.3% is also one of the lowest in Europe, and locally, 7 in 10 Hamburg residents say good jobs are plenty across the city.
4. Gdansk, Poland
Gdansk ranks fourth, beating the capital Warsaw. Monthly salaries here average nearly $1.7K, and one-bedroom apartments in the city centre go for around $900. Gdansk also stands out with its crime-free streets, with over 80% of its residents saying they feel safe walking alone at night, one of the best rates in Europe. On top of all that, Gdansk offers plenty of job opportunities, including for early-career professionals, with youth unemployment across the country only at 7.3%.
5. Munich, Germany
Munich rounds out the top five places for recent graduates. Average monthly pay here exceeds $3.6K, making it one of the highest-paying cities in Europe. And while one-bedroom rents of $1.5K are also among the steepest, it still leaves locals with $2K in spare money every month. Munich also has an active job market, with over 70% of locals saying well-paid roles are easy to find.
And Germany's youth unemployment rate of 6.3% makes that easy to believe.
The higher education expert from Edumentors shared practical tips for international students:
"Five German cities made the top 10, which is not surprising. Germany has a strong apprenticeship and vocational culture that keeps young people connected to the labour market, and that spills over into graduate hiring too. Plus, its diverse economy makes it easier to find a job no matter where you specialise. German cities are also among the most affordable in Europe, with Munich being a rare exception. But graduates in high-earning fields like engineering, finance, or technology will still find Munich rewarding, as the high salary ceiling offsets the above-average cost of living."