Moving to Finland from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Austria to Finland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Austria to Finland, you would find that Finland is 14.0% cheaper than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly €57,600 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helsinki averages 48°F vs 58°F in Vienna, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Finland cheaper than Austria?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 10.9% less

Groceries

pay 21.7% less

Transportation

pay 14.4% more

Housing

pay 26.3% less

Childcare

pay 30.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Finland?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €57,600

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Finland cost about 7% less than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

Finland

Lahti 55%
Jyvaskyla 51%
Joensuu 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Austria to Finland.

Moved in 2023
51 ↑ 2% vs 2022

people moved from Austria to Finland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Finland?

Top countries of origin for Finland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Finland compared to Austria.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AT
0.9
FI
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
FI
4.2

Austria generally does better on safety, though Finland leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
FI
36.1

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AT
17.0
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
FI
5.5t

Finland performs significantly better than Austria across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AT
30.1
FI
36.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
FI
7.1%

Finland performs significantly better than Austria across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
FI
9.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
FI
$56,149

Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AT
82.0 yrs
FI
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
2.8
FI
1.9

Finland performs significantly better than Austria across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016), Finnish Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Finland vs Austria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Vienna Rain: 24.4 in/yr (620 mm)
58° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Helsinki Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Helsinki
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 58°/40°F (14°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 65°/49°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Helsinki
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Austria to Finland?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Austria and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting Finland

Visa Free
Austria passport holders can enter Finland without a visa.
Finland passport

Finland passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
Finland passport holders can enter Austria without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Finland than Austria?

On average Finland is about 14% less expensive than Austria, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Finland?

Budget about €14,400 for 3 months in Finland (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Finland?

Connectivity is usually fine (Finland: 36.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Finland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Finland safe for expats?

Austria generally does better on safety, though Finland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.

How is healthcare in Finland compared to Austria?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 55.1 in Austria. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

What's the weather like in Finland compared to Austria?

The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Finland?

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT FI
Population 9,208,163 5,646,436
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages German Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112