Moving to Slovakia from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Austria to Slovakia, you would find that Slovakia is 33.0% cheaper than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly €44,900 in Slovakia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Slovak.

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Is Slovakia cheaper than Austria?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 43.3% less

Groceries

pay 30.9% less

Transportation

pay 24.8% less

Housing

pay 36.2% less

Childcare

pay 26.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 34.3% less

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 Slovakia?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €44,900

To maintain the same standard of living in Slovakia

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 Slovakia cost about 27% less than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

Slovakia

Poprad 42%
Trnava 40%
Trencin 40%
Zilina 38%

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 Slovakia.

Moved in 2023
25 ↓ 29% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Slovakia?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Slovakia compared to Austria.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

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

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
SK
6.4

Austria performs better than Slovakia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
SK
$3,230
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
SK
37.0

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Slovakia 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
SK
30.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
SK
5.5t

Austria generally does better on environment, though Slovakia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AT
30.1
SK
33.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
SK
2.4%

Austria generally does better on infrastructure, though Slovakia leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
SK
5.4%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
SK
$28,544

Slovakia 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
SK
78.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
2.8
SK
5.3

Austria performs better than Slovakia 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), Tax Directorate, Slovakia (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Slovakia vs Austria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Bratislava Rain: 22.6 in/yr (574 mm)
61° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Bratislava
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 44°/30°F (7°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 78°/58°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 49°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Bratislava
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 38°/27°F (3.1°/-2.8°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 42°/29°F (5.8°/-1.7°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.7°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.0°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 71°/51°F (21.8°/10.6°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.4°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 82°/61°F (27.8°/16.2°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/15.9°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 71°/53°F (21.9°/11.5°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 60°/44°F (15.6°/6.6°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 48°/37°F (9.0°/2.7°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 39°/29°F (3.7°/-1.5°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute

Can you move from Austria to Slovakia?

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

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting Slovakia

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

Slovakia passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
Slovakia 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 Slovakia than Austria?

On average Slovakia is about 33% less expensive than Austria, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Slovakia?

Budget about €11,225 for 3 months in Slovakia (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 Slovakia?

Connectivity is usually fine (Slovakia: 33.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Slovakia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Slovakia safe for expats?

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

How is healthcare in Slovakia compared to Austria?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Slovakia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 37.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Slovakia, compared to 55.1 in Austria. Slovakia scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Bratislava is 61°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Bratislava receives around 22.6 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Slovakia?

The official language in Slovakia is Slovak. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT SK
Population 9,208,163 5,413,813
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages German Slovak
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +421
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112