Moving to France from Austria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Austria to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Austria to France, you would find that France is 6.1% cheaper than Austria overall. A €65,700 salary in Austria would need to be roughly €59,934 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Austria to France.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → €59,934
To maintain the same standard of living in France
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 14.4% less
Groceries
pay 10.2% less
Transportation
pay 3.4% more
Housing
pay 25.4% less
Childcare
pay 0.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Austria to France, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Austria and France stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Austria performs better than France across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
France performs significantly better than Austria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Austria generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
France performs significantly better than Austria across all family life metrics.
Data: Federal Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Vienna | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Vienna | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) |
| Feb | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) |
| Jul | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) |
| Aug | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) |
| Nov | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) |
Data:
GeoSphere Austria,
Météo-France
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Austria and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.
Austria passport holder visiting France
Visa Free
France passport holder visiting Austria
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in France than Austria?
Generally yes: France runs about 9% cheaper than Austria on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to France?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €14,984 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from France?
With 49.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Austria and France.
Is France safe for expats?
Austria performs better than France across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.
How is healthcare in France compared to Austria?
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.4 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 55.1 in Austria. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).
What's the weather like in France compared to Austria?
The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.
What language do they speak in France?
The official language in France is French. In Austria, the official language is German.
