Moving to Austria from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Austria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Austria, you would find that Austria is 7.6% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly €40,996 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Vienna averages 58°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Austria.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → €40,996
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 11.9% less
Groceries
pay 15.3% less
Transportation
pay 24.6% less
Housing
pay 50.0% more
Childcare
pay 12.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Iceland to Austria, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Austria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Austria across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland performs better than Austria across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Iceland performs better than Austria across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
Icelandic Meteorological Office
GeoSphere AustriaVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Austria runs about 38% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Austria?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,423,000 comparable salary, that's around €10,249 in Austria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Austria?
With 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Austria can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Iceland and Austria.
Is Austria safe for expats?
Iceland 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 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to Iceland?
Iceland 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 45.2 in Iceland. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
