Moving to Austria from France

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from France to Austria, you would find that Austria is 9.2% more expensive than France overall. A €67,000 salary in France would need to be roughly €73,200 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €73,200

To maintain the same standard of living in Austria

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.3% more

Groceries

pay 6.1% more

Transportation

pay 4.3% less

Housing

pay 27.1% more

Childcare

pay 10.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.8% 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.

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 Austria cost about 3% less than cities in France.

France

Paris ★ 64%
Cannes 64%
Antibes 61%

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 France to Austria.

Moved in 2023
1,505 ↓ 10% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Austria?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Austria compared to France.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

FR
1.3
AT
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

FR
4.7
AT
4.6

Austria performs significantly better than France across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

FR
$6,868
AT
$8,250
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

FR
32.8
AT
55.1

France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

FR
10.0
AT
17.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

FR
4.0t
AT
6.3t

France performs better than Austria across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

FR
48.9
AT
30.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

FR
21.4%
AT
8.7%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

FR
7.5%
AT
5.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

FR
$48,986
AT
$62,930

Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

FR
83.0 yrs
AT
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

FR
3.4
AT
2.8

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Paris Vienna
Jan–Mar 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) 43°/31°F (6°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) 67°/50°F (20°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) 75°/58°F (24°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) 48°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Paris Vienna
Jan 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C)
Feb 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C)
Mar 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C)
Apr 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C)
May 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C)
Jun 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C)
Jul 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C)
Aug 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C)
Sep 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C)
Oct 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C)
Nov 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C)
Dec 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C)

Data: Météo-France Météo-France, GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

France passport

France passport holder visiting Austria

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

Austria passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
Austria passport holders can enter France 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 Austria than France?

On average Austria is around 9% pricier than France, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Austria?

Budget about €18,300 for 3 months in Austria (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 Austria?

Connectivity is usually fine (Austria: 30.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Austria offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Austria safe for expats?

Austria performs significantly better than France across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in France.

How is healthcare in Austria compared to France?

France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 32.8 in France. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (France: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.

What language do they speak in Austria?

The official language in Austria is German. In France, the official language is French.

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At a Glance

FR AT
Population 68,720,337 9,208,163
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages French German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +33 +43
Time zones 14 1
Emergency number 112 112