Moving to Washington from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Austria to Washington, you would find that Washington is 25.7% more expensive than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly $94,300 in Washington 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 Washington cheaper than Austria?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.3% more

Groceries

pay 11.9% more

Transportation

pay 6.0% less

Housing

pay 61.9% more

Childcare

pay 2.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.5% 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 Washington?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → $94,300

To maintain the same standard of living in Washington

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 Washington cost about 21% more than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

Washington

Redmond 81%
Seattle 81%
Bellevue 80%
Puyallup 76%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Washington

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Austria to Washington, 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 Washington 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%
WA
31.1%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2025

share of households with internet

AT
91.9%
WA
93.1%

Washington performs significantly better than Austria across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
WA
$87,768

Washington 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
WA
79.2 yrs

Austria performs better than Washington across all family life metrics.

Weather in Washington vs Austria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Seattle Rain: 37.5 in/yr (952 mm)
60° / 45°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Seattle
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 50°/38°F (10°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 64°/47°F (18°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 74°/55°F (23°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 52°/41°F (11°/5°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Seattle
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C)

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

Can you move from Austria to Washington?

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 Washington than Austria?

Day-to-day costs in Washington run about 26% higher than Austria on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Washington?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around $23,575 in Washington for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Washington?

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

How is healthcare in Washington compared to Austria?

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

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

The average high temperature in Seattle is 60°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Seattle receives around 37.5 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Washington?

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

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At a Glance

AT
Population 9,208,163 8,001,020
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages German English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911