Moving to Illinois from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Austria to Illinois — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Austria to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 7.3% more expensive than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly $80,500 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Illinois cheaper than Austria?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 13.5% less

Groceries

pay 1.5% more

Transportation

pay 14.3% less

Housing

pay 26.1% more

Childcare

pay 80.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (October 2026)

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 Illinois?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → $80,500

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

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 Illinois cost about 4% more than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

Illinois

Chicago 72%
Rockford 55%
Peoria 50%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Illinois

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Austria to Illinois, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
400 ↑ 9% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Austria and Illinois stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

AT
16.5%
IL
34.6%

Austria performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2025

share of households with internet

AT
91.9%
IL
89.6%

Austria performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
IL
$70,691

Illinois performs significantly better than Austria across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AT
82.0 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs

Austria performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.

Weather in Illinois vs Austria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Chicago Rain: 36.9 in/yr (937 mm)
59° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Chicago
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 70°/48°F (21°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 80°/60°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 48°/32°F (9°/0°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Chicago
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Austria to Illinois?

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

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Austria passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
United States 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 Illinois than Austria?

Day-to-day costs in Illinois run about 7% higher than Austria on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around $20,125 in Illinois for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Illinois?

Working remotely from Illinois's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Austria and Illinois.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Austria?

Austria performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Illinois?

The official language in Illinois is English. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT
Population 9,208,163 12,719,141
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages German English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911