Living in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ljubljana is a mid-sized city in Slovenia (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 11°C over the year with about 1,403 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,840 a month to live centrally, and Slovenia sits in our high tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Slovenia is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $3,725 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,840
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 11°C
- 1,403 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 80/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~110 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Ljubljana
- Safer than 95% of the cities we compare
- Colder than 86% of the cities we track
- Has a residency route for remote workers
Safety and stability
Slovenia scores 80 out of 100 on safety, safer than 95% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 7.8 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Slovenia. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Slovenia has no passive golden visa or retiree/non-lucrative route, so realistic long-term residency runs through EU Blue Card or skilled employment, active self-employment by founding and operating your own company, or family reunification, with a time-limited digital nomad permit as the only self-funded income option.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Slovenia:
- Income: about $3,725 a month (Slovenia digital nomad temporary residence permit, approx EUR 3,200/mo (twice the average net salary); 1-year and non-renewable with no permanent-residence path. EUR converted to USD at 1.164 (2 Jun 2026).; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $58k (Slovenia business/investor residence route, EUR 50,000 net investment into your own active Slovenian company (plus EUR 7,500 paid-in share capital); no passive golden visa exists. EUR converted to USD at 1.164 (2 Jun 2026).; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Climate
Ljubljana averages 11°C across the year with about 1,403 mm of rain, which makes it cool and wet. It is warmer than 14% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Taxes
Slovenia sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Ljubljana in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Healthcare
Slovenia scores 70 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 71% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Slovenia.
Language and culture
Main languages: Slovenian, English. English proficiency: good. Social openness scores 74 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,840 a month to live centrally in Ljubljana, 4% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 38% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Slovenia runs at about 110 Mbps, faster than 44% of the cities we compare. Slovenia also has a residency route aimed at remote workers (see residency below).
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Ljubljana
Is Ljubljana a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Ljubljana scores well on safety, healthcare, English and social openness. Expect a cool, wet climate (11°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Ljubljana and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Ljubljana?
We estimate about €2,840 a month for a couple living centrally, 4% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Ljubljana?
Slovenia is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Ljubljana in their results.
Can foreigners live in Slovenia long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Slovenia has no passive golden visa or retiree/non-lucrative route, so realistic long-term residency runs through EU Blue Card or skilled employment, active self-employment by founding and operating your own company, or family reunification, with a time-limited digital nomad permit as the only self-funded income option. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $3,725 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $58k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Ljubljana?
Ljubljana averages 11°C across the year with about 1,403 mm of rain, which makes it cool and wet. It is warmer than 14% of the cities we track.
Compare Ljubljana with
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