Moving to Poland from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Austria to Poland, you would find that Poland is 35.6% cheaper than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly PLN189,000 in Poland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Polish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Austria and Poland.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → PLN189,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Poland

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 39.8% less

Groceries

pay 46.6% less

Transportation

pay 26.0% less

Housing

pay 33.4% less

Childcare

pay 46.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 33.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (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.

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 Poland cost about 26% less than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

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 Poland.

Moved in 2021
65 ↑ 76% vs 2020

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

Who's moving to Poland?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Poland compared to Austria.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AT
0.9
PL
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
PL
6.5

Austria generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
PL
$3,939
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
PL
40.3

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland 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
PL
41.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
PL
7.5t

Austria performs better than Poland 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
PL
25.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
PL
32.5%

Austria performs better than Poland across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
PL
3.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
PL
$28,420

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AT
82.0 yrs
PL
78.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
2.8
PL
3.6

Austria performs better than Poland 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), Ministry of Finance, Poland (2016). How we calculate this

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

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Warsaw
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 66°/46°F (19°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 44°/33°F (7°/1°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Warsaw
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting Poland

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

Poland passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
Poland 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 Poland than Austria?

On average Poland is about 36% less expensive than Austria, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Poland?

Budget about PLN47,250 for 3 months in Poland (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 Poland?

Connectivity is usually fine (Poland: 25.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Poland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Poland safe for expats?

Austria generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.

How is healthcare in Poland compared to Austria?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 55.1 in Austria. Poland scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Warsaw is 55°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Warsaw receives around 20.9 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Poland?

The official language in Poland is Polish. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT PL
Population 9,208,163 36,435,861
Currency Euro (€) Polish Zloty (PLN)
Languages German Polish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +48
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112