Moving to New Zealand from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Austria to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 8.3% cheaper than Austria overall. A €65,700 salary in Austria would need to be roughly NZ$106,917 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Austria to New Zealand.

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 NZ$106,917

To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 29.7% less

Groceries

pay 17.4% less

Transportation

pay 6.8% less

Housing

pay 10.4% less

Childcare

pay 1.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 29.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
66 ↓ 4% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to New Zealand?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

AT
0.9
NZ
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
NZ
6.6

Austria performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
NZ
$5,576
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
NZ
35.7

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand 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
NZ
12.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
NZ
6.0t

New Zealand performs significantly better than Austria across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AT
29.6
NZ
35.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
NZ
8.1%

New Zealand performs significantly better than Austria across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.2%
NZ
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$64,600
NZ
$48,800

New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Austria leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AT
82.3 yrs
NZ
82.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
3.2
NZ
3.4

New Zealand generally does better on family life, though Austria leads in infant mortality.

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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Wellington Rain: 37.7 in/yr (957 mm)
62° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Wellington
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 69°/58°F (21°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 59°/49°F (15°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 56°/46°F (13°/8°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 64°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Wellington
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, New Zealand National Meteorological Service New Zealand National Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting New Zealand

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

New Zealand passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Austria?

Generally yes: New Zealand runs about 18% cheaper than Austria on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around NZ$26,729 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New Zealand?

With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 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 New Zealand.

Is New Zealand safe for expats?

Austria performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.

How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Austria?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 55.1 in Austria. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Austria?

The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in New Zealand?

The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT NZ
Population 8,913,088 5,053,004
Currency Euro (€) New Zealand Dollar (NZ$)
Languages German English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +43 +64
Time zones 1 5
Emergency number 112 111