Income & Work
What people earn and how the labor market is performing.
Unemployment
5.6%
World Bank / ILO
Inflation (annual CPI)
3.5%
Within target band
🇦🇹
Austria
#17 of 95Central Europe· Data updated May 2026
66/100WhereNext Relocation Score
Editorial standardsMethodologyReviewed by WhereNext editorial · Verified
Overall composite (across 7 dimensions)#17 / 95Top 20%
Best (#1)Worst (#95)
Source: WhereNext Global Relocation Index 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Strong Contender — strongest in safety and healthcare.
41% cheaper than USSafer than 78 of 95 countriesTop pick for family relocationWatch: affordability
- Monthly cost
- $2,055/mo
- 41% less than US · standard 11-category basket
- Safety
- 96/100
- High · high confidence
- Healthcare
- 90/100
- High · medium confidence
- Schools
- 83/100
- education index · medium confidence
- Climate
- 12°C avg
- 545mm/yr rain
- Infrastructure
- 83/100
- Good · medium confidence
67% data coverage·9.2M population·Public-domain data
Per-field freshness (5 dimensions)
cost4mo agosafety4mo agohealthcare4mo agoeducation5mo agolifestyle4mo ago
Austria at a glance
Quick answer
Austria scores 66/100 on the WhereNext Relocation Score (2026 edition) — computed from cost, safety, healthcare, education, career, lifestyle, and infrastructure; updated 2026-05-18.
Quick answer
Austria ranks #17 of 95 countries on the WhereNext Global Relocation Index 2026 (composite score 66/100), with strongest scores in safety and healthcare and watch areas in affordability and lifestyle. Estimated 2026 single-person cost of living in Austria is around $2,055/month. Best fit profile: family relocation. Composite score uses 7 dimensions (cost, safety, healthcare, education, career, lifestyle, infrastructure) sourced from World Bank ICP, UNDP HDI, IEP Global Peace Index, OECD PISA, and EF EPI.
Last updated: May 2026 · Cost-of-living estimate is a 2026 single-person model based on the WhereNext cost index. Use the Cost of Living tool for city-level detail.
Key facts
- Rank #17 of 95 composite score 66/100 across the WhereNext 7-dimension framework.
- ~$2,055/mo estimated single-person cost of living, including rent, utilities, food, and transport.
- Strongest: Safety 96/100 normalized — top strength out of 7 dimensions.
- Watch area: Affordability 32/100 — lowest dimension; verify against your priorities.
- Coverage: 67% of dimensions population 9.2M · public-domain data sources (World Bank, UNDP, IEP, OECD, EF EPI).
Composite score
On par with peers
- Austria
- 66/100
- Central Europe avg
- 64/100
- Global avg
- 49/100
Compared against 3 regional neighbors and 95 indexed countries globally.
Source: WhereNext 7-dimension composite (World Bank ICP, UNDP HDI, IEP GPI, OECD PISA, EF EPI, Eurostat) · updated
Healthcare costs — Austria vs US baseline
Five common line items. Grey bar = US median; primary-green = destination median; amber appears only when the destination is MORE expensive than the US (rare for healthcare).
Verified · WhereNext healthcare-cost dataset
Private ins./mo
US
🇦🇹 AT
GP visit
US
🇦🇹 AT
Specialist visit
US
🇦🇹 AT
ER visit
US
🇦🇹 AT
Dental cleaning
US
🇦🇹 AT
US baseline (median)Destination cheaper than USDestination MORE expensive than US
| Line item | Country | Local range | US median | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private ins./mo | 🇦🇹 Austria | $105-$195 | $500 | −$350 |
| GP visit | 🇦🇹 Austria | $25-$45 | $225 | −$190 |
| Specialist visit | 🇦🇹 Austria | $40-$75 | $375 | −$317 |
| ER visit | 🇦🇹 Austria | $180-$375 | $1.9K | −$1.6K |
| Dental cleaning | 🇦🇹 Austria | $15-$30 | $150 | −$127 |
Annual climate — Vienna (Austria)
Each vertical band shows the monthly low-to-high temperature range; the colour classifies the month by its high/low MIDPOINT. Green = comfortable midpoint (5-25°C); amber = hot midpoint (>25°C); grey = cold midpoint (<5°C). A green month can still have hot afternoons — read the bands for the extremes.
Verified · Climate-Data.org + WhereNext city-monthly-climate dataset
Vienna
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cold (midpoint <5°C)Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C)Hot (midpoint >25°C)
| City | Month | High | Low | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Jan | 3°C | -2°C | Cold (midpoint <5°C) |
| Vienna | Feb | 5°C | -1°C | Cold (midpoint <5°C) |
| Vienna | Mar | 11°C | 3°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Apr | 16°C | 6°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | May | 21°C | 11°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Jun | 25°C | 14°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Jul | 27°C | 16°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Aug | 27°C | 16°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Sep | 22°C | 12°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Oct | 15°C | 7°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Nov | 9°C | 3°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Vienna | Dec | 4°C | -1°C | Cold (midpoint <5°C) |
Honest expectations: when Austria is the wrong fit
Most country guides only sell the upside. These are the specific triggers that mean Austria is probably not for you — drawn from recurring expat complaints and verified policy realities.
Do not choose Austria if you cannot speak German at B1+ for daily life.
LanguageOutside central Vienna international districts, daily life — Meldebescheinigung, banking, doctors, leases — runs in German with limited English exception.
Do not choose Austria if your goal was tax optimisation.
TaxAustrian marginal tax hits 55% above €1M and 50% above €98K; capital gains 27.5%. RWR-Card holders are not exempt from Austrian worldwide tax once resident.
Do not choose Austria if you need fast-track points-based immigration.
BureaucracyRed-White-Red Card requires 70 of 100 points + occupation match; processing runs 4-8 weeks but the pre-application Konsulat appointment can take 2-4 months.
Will you find your people in Austria?
Community density signals — quant + qualitative. Loneliness is a top-three relocation-failure factor; this section flags whether Austria has the expat scene to match your profile.
Expat density
Hub21.1% foreign-born
English proficiency
72/100 (EF EPI)
Coworking density
Medium
Top nomad hubs
Vienna
Adult community vibe
Active
Family expat community
Active
What recurring expats complain about
“Austrian Verein (club) culture is the durable integration path — friendships develop through shared activity, not through casual coffee.”
Best neighborhoods for community
- · Vienna: 1st (Innere Stadt), 7th (Neubau), 18th/19th (Döbling, families)
- · Salzburg: Riedenburg / Aigen (families)
Internet reality in Austria
Median speed is a misleading single metric. What remote workers actually need to know: do Zoom calls survive peak hours, what happens during outages, what’s the mobile backup like.
Peak-hour Zoom quality
Good
Power outage frequency
Rare
Mobile backup
Excellent
Coworking fallback
Decent
Recommended eSIM providers
A1 · Magenta Telekom · Drei
What to actually expect
Vienna + major cities have universal fibre; Alpine areas use 4G + local fixed wireless. Mobile data plans are reasonably priced by EU standards.
Safety reality in Austria
Overall:Excellent· #4 on Global Peace Index
7 dimensions of safety, each scored separately so a single weak axis doesn’t drag the cross-dimensional view. Per Global Peace Index + WHO + national crime statistics.
GPI 2026verified Aug 2026HDR 2025 (HDI 2023 data)verified Aug 2026- Excellent
Overall public safety
Composite of crime, governance, and rule-of-law indicators.
- Strong
Political stability82/100
Stable institutions, low risk of policy upheaval affecting expats.
- Strong
Natural disaster resilience80/100
Moderate exposure (flood, earthquake). Insurance coverage usually sufficient; check policy fine print.
- Strong
Women's safety82/100
Strong women's-safety indicators across crime statistics and harassment reporting.
- Strong
LGBTQ+ safety78/100
Legal but social acceptance varies regionally. Larger cities significantly more open.
- Excellent
Emergency healthcare quality90/100
World-class emergency / trauma capability in major cities.
- Excellent
Terrorism risk
No active terrorism advisory; statistically negligible risk.
National averages only. Within-country variation is large — Mexico City vs Mérida differ massively. Cross- reference at the city / neighbourhood level before relocating.
Verify with current government advisories
Static-data signals don’t reflect this week’s situation. Cross-check against your home government’s current travel advisory before any irreversible commitment.
What life in Austria is actually like
Daily rhythm and cultural texture
Vienna dictates the rhythm of Austrian life, and that rhythm is deliberate. Mornings begin at the Bäckerei for Semmel (bread rolls) and Melange (Vienna's answer to cappuccino) at a Kaffeehaus — not Starbucks but institutions like Cafe Central or Cafe Hawelka where lingering for two hours with a newspaper is expected, not tolerated. The city's classical music infrastructure is not a tourist attraction but a living cultural practice: standing-room tickets at the Staatsoper cost €4, and the Musikverein's Grosser Saal hosts concerts attended by Viennese in their twenties as readily as retirees. The Naschmarkt on Saturdays is the social epicenter — 120 stalls of Turkish, Balkan, Austrian, and Asian food stretching along the Wienzeile. Winters are proper — cold, grey, and damp from November through March — but the Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz and Schonbrunn transforms the dark months into mulled-wine-fueled social season. Spring brings the Heuriger: wine taverns on Vienna's outskirts in Grinzing and Neustift where locals drink young white wine with cold cuts in garden settings. Salzburg is smaller, Alpine, Mozart-saturated, and revolves around the Festival in summer. Innsbruck and Graz are university towns with distinct personalities. Sundays in Austria are genuinely quiet — shops closed, church bells ringing, families walking along the Donaukanal or hiking the Wienerwald. Austrians are formal on first meeting — Herr and Frau with surnames — and warm once you've earned the Du.
Who thrives here — and who struggles
Austria is outstanding for classical musicians, academics, and UN/international organization professionals, given Vienna's status as a major headquarters city. Families thrive on the combination of affordable public childcare, safe neighborhoods like Hietzing or Dobling, and the proximity to Alpine weekends. Ski enthusiasts who want powder within 90 minutes of their desk find no better option in Europe. Retirees with cultural appetites will find Vienna's theater, opera, and museum density unmatched at its price point. Austria is NOT for anyone unwilling to learn German — while younger Viennese speak English, bureaucracy, socializing beyond surface level, and life outside Vienna operate entirely in German. It's also a poor fit for those who bristle at formality; Austrian social codes around titles, greetings, and hierarchy are rigid and matter.
Reality check: the first 6 months
The Meldezettel (registration form) is your first stop and requires your landlord's signature — similar to Germany but the MA35 immigration office in Vienna is legendarily slow and understaffed. Apartment hunting in Vienna is competitive but more manageable than Berlin or Amsterdam; Willhaben.at and the Wohnungsgenossenschaft (housing cooperative) system offer affordable options if you can navigate German-language listings. The Anmeldung triggers access to the e-card (health insurance), but there's typically a waiting period for non-EU nationals during which private insurance is essential. Austria's renowned public transport comes with a catch: the Klimaticket (€1,095/year for all national transit) is outstanding value but you must buy it with Austrian payment methods. Banking requires the Meldezettel first — Erste Bank and Raiffeisen are the main options. Tipping culture expects 5-10% rounded up, and cash remains preferred in smaller establishments. The Austrian dialect (Wienerisch in Vienna, varied elsewhere) diverges significantly from Hochdeutsch, and classroom German won't fully prepare you for daily conversation.
Austria at a glance
What works well here
- ✓Vienna consistently rated world's most liveable city
- ✓Superb public transport and cycling infrastructure
- ✓Unmatched access to Alpine outdoors
- ✓Rich cultural and musical heritage
Friction to expect
- !Bureaucracy conducted entirely in German
- !Social integration can be slow and reserved
- !High income tax rates at the top bracket
Practical nuances
- LGBTQ+ safety
- Full same-sex marriage has been legal since January 2019 following a Constitutional Court ruling. Vienna is very progressive with a vibrant LGBTQ+ scene; rural Austria leans conservative but is generally safe.
- Driving & licensing
- Drives on the right. EU licenses are valid; non-EU licenses must be exchanged within 6 months, often requiring a practical test. Vignette (motorway sticker) is mandatory.
- Healthcare system
- Mandatory social health insurance tied to employment (OeGK). Private supplementary insurance is popular for faster specialist access and private hospital rooms.
- Walkability & transit
- Vienna's U-Bahn, tram, and bus network is exceptional and famously affordable (365-Euro annual ticket). Other cities are compact and highly walkable.
Healthcare-system facts · Source: WHO Global Health Observatory + national health-ministry publications · Last verified Apr 18, 2026 (4 months ago) · Verify coverage and eligibility with the public-system administrator or a licensed health insurer before relying on it.
Tax overview
- Personal income tax
- 0% - 55%
- Corporate tax
- 23%
- Sales / VAT
- 20% (standard)
- Wealth & crypto
- No wealth tax. Crypto gains are taxed at a flat 27.5% capital gains rate since the 2022 reform.
Tax rates and special regimes · Source: OECD Tax Database + national tax authority publications + treaty texts · Last verified Apr 18, 2026 (4 months ago) · Verify against your own circumstances with a licensed cross-border tax advisor before filing.
See our tax calculator to model your specific situation.
Where expats settle in Austria
ViennaSalzburgGrazInnsbruck
Decision Snapshot
The numbers that matter most for your relocation decision.
Scored 0–100 using institutional data: World Bank (cost, governance), WHO (healthcare), OECD PISA (education), Global Peace Index (safety), Open-Meteo (climate), and 22 more — scoring never uses crowdsourced surveys; crowd-market price indexes appear only as labeled city-cost calibration. See the full methodology.
GPI 2026Aug 2026HDI 2023Aug 2026PISA 2022Aug 2026EF EPI 2025Jun 2026Salaries 2024Jun 2026
Monthly Cost
-32 vs avg$2,055
Moderate Value · standard 11-category basket
Safety
+35 vs avgA+96/100
0.9 homicides per 100k
Healthcare
+26 vs avgA+90/100
Visa Practicality
3 pathways
Red-White-Red Card
Climate & Lifestyle
B+73/100
Avg 12°C / 54°F
Infrastructure
A83/100
GDP/capita PPP: $76,778
Median Net Salary
$24,935/yr
9.4 months of local costs · 2023
Monthly cost-of-living basket · Source: World Bank + OECD + national statistical agencies + WhereNext research — standard 11-category single-person basket · Last verified Apr 21, 2026 (4 months ago) · Verify with a recent local listing or in-person check before committing.
Salary & take-home in Austria
- Median gross
- $40,206
- Net after tax
- $24,935
- PPP-equiv. net
- $28,444
National median wage, 2023 data (primary-sourced). Net uses Austria's resident income-tax brackets, not expat regimes. Per-profession figures are modelled estimates, not job offers.
Key Caution
Affordability scores 32/100, which is 32 points below the global average. Research this area carefully before committing.
Want a personalized analysis for Austria?
Build a free relocation case — origin, household, budget, timeline — and every WhereNext tool inherits the context.
The honest take
What's great
- Safety — scored 96/100(well above average)
- Healthcare — scored 90/100(well above average)
- Education — scored 83/100(well above average)
Watch out for
- Affordability — scored 32/100(32 below average)
Is this place viable for you?
Quick decision check — Austria
Strengths
- Safety96/100
- Healthcare90/100
- Education83/100
Likely blockers
Cost may stretch typical budgets
Run the free Retirement Budget calculator
How Austria Scores
Seven dimensions, weighted by what matters to relocators.
Safety
avg 6196
Healthcare
avg 6490
Education
avg 5083
Infrastructure
avg 6783
Career
avg 5878
Lifestyle
avg 6373
Affordability
avg 6432
Who Austria Is Best For
Based on how this country ranks under different lifestyle priorities.
Rankings shift based on your priorities. Personalize your ranking
System-Level Data
Institutional metrics from OECD, Eurostat, and World Bank, grouped into the six categories that matter most for relocation decisions in Austria.
2/4 fields
Cost Structure
How prices in this country compare to the EU average across categories (100 = EU-27 average).
Food
-10%
Restaurants
+16%
Housing
+11%
Transport
+12%
Healthcare
+9%
Education
+10%
Source: Eurostat price level indices.
Safety Context
Reported crime rates per 100,000 (Eurostat).
Theft
1,180/100k
Burglary
700/100k
Assault
52/100k
Robbery
33/100k
Best Cities in Austria
Flagship cities first, then researched, then modeled — sorted by cost.
Vienna
$2,500/mo78/100
city price-index model
Flagship
Explore city guide
Graz
$2,200/mo75/100
city price-index model
Modeled
Explore city guide
Salzburg
$2,650/mo77/100
city price-index model
Modeled
Explore city guide
Linz
$2,650/mo77/100
city price-index model
Modeled
Explore city guide
International Schools in Austria
27 schools · 9 citiesBrowse detailed school profiles — tuition, class sizes, nationalities, admissions, and hidden fees.
Linz
$700–$3,960/yr2 schools
Velden am Wörthersee
$6,651–$7,981/yr1 schools
Krumbach
$39,900–$43,680/yr1 schools
Kufstein
$5,298–$9,312/yr1 schools
Bregenz
$3,630–$8,100/yr1 schools
Relocating with school-age children? Get a personalized School Fit Brief for Austria — ranked schools matched to your family, hidden fees, admissions timing.
School Fit Brief — $49Tradeoffs and Risks
Every country has tradeoffs. Here is what the data shows.
What works well
Safety96/100
Healthcare90/100
Education83/100
Areas to research
Affordability32/100
Lifestyle73/100
Regional comparison
Get the free Austria Relocation Snapshot (2026)
A one-page, source-cited PDF — cost of living, visa routes, tax & healthcare for Austria, each figure cited to its source. We’ll email it and add you to the weekly relocation brief. Unsubscribe anytime.
Similar Countries
Countries with a similar data profile across all seven dimensions.
Relocation Checklist — Austria
0 of 12 completed0%
Documents
Healthcare
Finance
Housing
Settling In
Checklist is for guidance only. Requirements may vary based on nationality, visa type, and personal circumstances. Consult an immigration professional.
Make Austria real
Start a free relocation case for Austria
Two minutes of context — origin, household, budget, timeline — and every WhereNext tool inherits it. The Decision Brief becomes available as an advisor-ready artifact once your case for Austria exists.
- public-domain data
- free to start
- 30-day brief guarantee
Austria advisor intro
Get a free Austria adviser intro
Tell us what you are trying to solve in Austria and a human will review it for one adviser we are vetting for that destination.
Free and no obligation. We're still building our provider network for this category — a real person reviews every request, and if we find a match that clears our vetting standard, you approve the introduction before anything is shared. Never a list sold to many providers.
About Austria
Austria pairs imperial grandeur with Alpine splendor, consistently ranking among the world's most liveable countries thanks to Vienna's remarkable public infrastructure and cultural depth.
Deep Research
Detailed data for thorough due diligence. Expand any section below.
Quick Facts
Quick Facts
Capital
Vienna
Population
9.2M
Region
Central Europe
Languages
German
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Timezone
CET (UTC+1)
GDP per capita (PPP)
$76,778
Unemployment
5.6%
Healthcare System
Healthcare System
Life expectancy
82.0 years
Homicide rate
0.9 per 100k
If your visa or residency application requires proof of health cover, compare the exact requirement with a comprehensive resident plan before you apply. International Citizens Insurance can compare resident plans from multiple insurers; a travel-medical policy may not meet that requirement.
Climate & Environment
Climate & Environment
Average temperature
12.2°C / 54°F
Annual rainfall
545 mm
Visa Pathways
Visa Pathways
Red-White-Red Card
Points-based work permit for skilled workers, key workers, and graduates of Austrian universities.
EU Blue Card
For highly qualified third-country nationals with a recognized degree and a job offer above the salary threshold.
Artist Visa
Self-employment permit for freelance artists and creatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Austria a good country to move to?
Austria scores 66/100 overall and ranks #17 out of 95 countries in our data-driven analysis. It excels in safety and healthcare. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use our free personalization quiz to see how it ranks for your specific profile.
What is the cost of living in Austria?
The estimated monthly cost of living in Austria is approximately $2,055 on WhereNext's standard 11-category single-person basket. GDP per capita (PPP) is $76,778. Eurostat price level index: 110.5 (EU avg = 100). 6.1% of the population spends over 40% of income on housing. Cost inputs draw on World Bank, OECD, national statistical agencies, and WhereNext research.
Is Austria safe to live in?
Austria is relatively safe, scoring 96/100 on our safety index (normalized within our 95-country field; inputs: Global Peace Index, World Bank political stability, and homicide statistics). The homicide rate is 0.9 per 100,000 people. Eurostat reports 32.6 robberies per 100,000 inhabitants.
How is healthcare in Austria?
Austria has strong healthcare system, scoring 90/100 on our healthcare index (normalized within our 95-country field). Healthcare quality can vary significantly between cities and rural areas.
Do I need a visa to move to Austria?
Visa requirements for Austria depend on your citizenship and intended length of stay. Austria offers various visa categories including tourist, work, and residence permits. Common pathways include Red-White-Red Card, EU Blue Card, Artist Visa. Always check with the official embassy or consulate for current requirements.
Austria Guides & Articles
Suggested citation
CC BY 4.0This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.
WhereNext composite (lineage)
WhereNext composite — WhereNext Austria Relocation Profile 2026 (2026-04-21). Derived from: World Bank ICP (cost of living); WHO Global Health Observatory (healthcare quality); OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS (education); Yale EPI (environment); IEP Global Peace Index (safety); EF EPI (English proficiency); World Bank internet penetration + fixed broadband (digital infrastructure); WGI (governance). Available at https://getwherenext.com/country/at?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
APA
WhereNext. (2026). WhereNext Austria Relocation Profile 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/country/at?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
MLA
WhereNext. "WhereNext Austria Relocation Profile 2026." WhereNext, 21 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/country/at?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/country/at?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
BibTeX
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author = {{WhereNext}},
title = {WhereNext Austria Relocation Profile 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://getwherenext.com/country/at?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}HTML link
<a href="https://getwherenext.com/country/at?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext — WhereNext Austria Relocation Profile 2026</a>
Next step
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Important Notice
WhereNext provides data-driven insights for informational purposes only. Scores and rankings are algorithmically generated from public institutional data and may not reflect your individual circumstances. This tool does not replace professional advice for immigration, legal, tax, or financial matters.