Moving to Austria from Germany
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Germany to Austria — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Germany to Austria, you would find that Austria is 7.6% more expensive than Germany overall. A €67,000 salary in Germany would need to be roughly €72,100 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Germany to Austria.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €72,100
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 5.1% more
Groceries
pay 21.4% more
Transportation
pay 10.7% less
Housing
pay 12.7% more
Childcare
pay 2.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.6% more
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%).
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Germany to Austria, based on official data.
people moved from Germany to Austria · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Germany to Austria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Germany generally does better on safety, though Austria leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Germany generally does better on environment, though Austria leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Germany generally does better on infrastructure, though Austria leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Germany generally does better on employment & economy, though Austria leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Austria performs significantly better than Germany across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) (2016), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Berlin | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Berlin | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
Deutscher Wetterdienst
GeoSphere AustriaVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Germany 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.
Germany passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria passport holder visiting Germany
Visa FreeData: 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 Germany?
No — Austria is on average about 8% more expensive than Germany. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Austria?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €18,025 in Austria on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Austria?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Austria has 30.1 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 Austria safe for expats?
Germany generally does better on safety, though Austria leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Germany.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to Germany?
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in health coverage index. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 45.3 in Germany. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Germany: 88).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to Germany?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 56°F in Berlin. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Berlin gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
Both Germany and Austria share the same official language: German.
