- A new Edumentors study ranked the top 10 European cities where fresh graduates can realistically afford to live and build careers
- Cluj-Napoca in Romania topped the list, with city centre rents below $600 and the lowest cost of living among all cities assessed
- Vilnius in Lithuania and Essen in Germany also ranked strongly, each standing out on different measures important to young graduates
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 4 years of experience covering migration and global affairs.
Cluj-Napoca, Romania – Cluj-Napoca, a city in northwestern Romania, has been named the best European city for university graduates to live and start their careers, according to a study published in August 2026 by education consultancy Edumentors.
The research, obtained by Legit.ng on Wednesday, August 26, looked at close to 60 cities across the European Union and the United Kingdom (UK) before selecting the top 10 destinations best suited to young people beginning their professional lives after university.
Source: Twitter
Why Cluj-Napoca came out on top
Cluj-Napoca earned its top position largely because of its low living costs. Monthly rents for a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre come in below $600, and among all the cities included in the study, it recorded the lowest overall cost of living. For graduates entering the workforce on modest starting salaries, this financial headroom gives the city a clear advantage over many larger Western European capitals.
Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, also placed well in the rankings, with the city distinguishing itself on the strength of its job market. The study found that roughly two in three residents in Vilnius believe decent jobs are easy to find, one of the highest rates of employment confidence recorded across the cities assessed.
Essen, in western Germany, emerged as a standout for housing affordability relative to earnings. Graduates living there typically spend about 20% of their monthly salary on rent, the smallest share of income going to housing among all cities in the study.
Source: Twitter
How Edumentors ranked the cities
To produce the rankings, Edumentors combined several indicators that reflect the real-world pressures graduates face when choosing where to settle. These covered local perceptions of job availability, average monthly salaries, one-bedroom city centre rent prices, the broader cost of living, national youth unemployment rates for people aged 15 to 29, and job vacancy rates across each city.
Each city received a composite score based on these combined factors, rather than any single measure.
The results suggest that cities outside the traditional hubs of Western Europe, such as Paris, Amsterdam, or Vienna, can offer conditions that are in some respects more favourable to young people who are balancing career ambitions with the need to manage their finances from day one.
Here’s a look at the top 10 European cities for graduates:
- Cluj-Napoca
- Vilnius
- Hamburg
- Gdansk
- Munich
- Leipzig
- Warsaw
- Prague
- Tallinn
- Essen
1. Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Average monthly net salary: $1,157
- One-bedroom city-centre rent: $589
- Rent-to-salary ratio: 51%
- Job opportunity satisfaction: 72.6%
- 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.
Also, 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.”
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