Moving to United Arab Emirates from Austria

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Austria to United Arab Emirates — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Austria to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 16.4% cheaper than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly AED231,000 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dubai averages 91°F vs 58°F in Vienna, making it significantly warmer.

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

Is United Arab Emirates cheaper than Austria?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 53.8% less

Groceries

pay 41.0% less

Transportation

pay 31.1% less

Housing

pay 23.9% more

Childcare

pay 35.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 27.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (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 United Arab Emirates?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → AED231,000

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

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 United Arab Emirates cost about 15% less than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 58%
Al Ain 42%
Fujairah 35%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to United Arab Emirates

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Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Austria to United Arab Emirates.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AT
0.9
AE
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
AE
5.9

Austria generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
AE
29.9

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates 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
AE
70.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
AE
18.3t

Austria performs better than United Arab Emirates 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
AE
40.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
AE
1509.9%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Austria leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
AE
2.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
AE
$50,274

Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though United Arab Emirates leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AT
82.0 yrs
AE
83.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
2.8
AE
3.8

Austria generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2003). How we calculate this

Weather in United Arab Emirates vs Austria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Dubai Rain: 3.7 in/yr (94 mm)
91° / 70°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Dubai
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 97°/74°F (36°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 104°/83°F (40°/28°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 87°/66°F (31°/19°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Dubai
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 75°/57°F (24.0°/13.7°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 76°/58°F (24.6°/14.5°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 90°/68°F (32.4°/20.1°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 98°/74°F (36.8°/23.5°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 102°/79°F (38.8°/26.1°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 105°/84°F (40.6°/28.9°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 105°/85°F (40.4°/29.3°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 102°/79°F (38.7°/26.3°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 95°/73°F (35.1°/22.7°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 87°/65°F (30.5°/18.3°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.4°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria

Can you move from Austria to United Arab Emirates?

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

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
Austria passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates without a visa.
United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates than Austria?

Yes — United Arab Emirates is on average about 16% cheaper than Austria. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly AED57,750 in United Arab Emirates on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?

Internet is rarely the blocker — United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?

Austria generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Austria?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 55.1 in Austria. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Austria?

The average high temperature in Dubai is 91°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Dubai receives around 3.7 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT AE
Population 9,208,163 11,513,149
Currency Euro (€) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages German Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999