The Top 10 European Cities For New Grads
Imagine you’re a recent grad at the end of your academic journey. You’ve gone through years of school and, at last, you’ve got your degree. The next step is choosing what you’ll do next. Where will you start your career?
Maybe you’ll want to look into European cities. Here, you’ll be looking for an affordable place where that salary can cover rent. It’ll also need to be a place where you’ll have a social life, and a place where you can build a future.
London and Paris are great prospects, and often some of the first places that many think of when they consider working in Europe. But a new study from Edumentors showcases some of Europe’s other promising cities.
Researchers at Edumentors ranked around 60 European cities total, searching for the ones that offer the best mix of job opportunities and affordable living. They considered average monthly take-home pay, the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center, overall living expenses, and how satisfied residents were with local job opportunities. They also factored in national youth unemployment rates for people ages 15 to 29 and job vacancy rates.
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 | 0.6 | 44.6 | € 1,156.55 | € 589.27 | 15.4 | 72.6 |
| Vilnius | 2.2 | 53 | € 1,686.90 | € 765.79 | 11 | 64 |
| Hamburg | 2.8 | 71.9 | € 3,127.99 | € 1,168.07 | 6.3 | 71.2 |
| Gdansk | 0.7 | 49.7 | € 1,683.71 | € 898.54 | 7.3 | 62.1 |
| Munich | 2.8 | 76.1 | € 3,613.50 | € 1,541.84 | 6.3 | 72.5 |
| Leipzig | 2.8 | 67.3 | € 2,676.49 | € 697.58 | 6.3 | 61 |
| Warsaw | 0.7 | 53.5 | € 1,944.20 | € 1,088.31 | 7.3 | 65.8 |
| Prague | 1.9 | 59.6 | € 2,095.75 | € 1,045.88 | 6.4 | 78.7 |
| Tallinn | 1.5 | 64.8 | € 1,967.17 | € 720.88 | 14.9 | 64.5 |
| Essen | 2.8 | 70.8 | € 2,708.73 | € 551.56 | 6.3 | 54 |
Cluj-Napoca in Romania claims first place with a cost-of-living index of 44.6, the lowest among the top 10 cities. Incredibly, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs an average of just €589 per month, while renters were bringing in a monthly net salary of €1,157. Affordability is incredible, but better yet, 72.6% of residents reported being quite happy with the local job opportunities.
Vilnius, Lithuania, comes in second, with a higher average monthly net salary of about €1,687 and rent in the city averaging roughly €766. In Lithuania, 64% of residents say they are happy with the local job opportunities available.
In No. 3 was Hamburg, Germany, with a different kind of appeal. Average monthly net pay was about €3,128, while rent averages €1,168 – or around 37% of that salary. Some graduates might prefer the lower costs of a city like Romanian, but others may see greater earning potential in a larger German job market.
Looking at the rest of the top ten, Munich, Germany, had the highest average monthly net salary among the top 10, at approximately €3,614. However, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs an average of €1,542 per month. That’s the highest rent in the group.
On the opposite end, in Essen, Germany, the average monthly salary is about €2,709, while rent comes in at just €552. In Essen, housing is much less expensive relative to earnings.
Prague, Czechia, shows the highest satisfaction with local job opportunities, at 78.7%, despite placing eighth.
Overall, each city has a different selling point, whether that’s earning more, spending less on housing, or feeling optimistic about the local job market.
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