Moving to Austria from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to Austria? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to Austria, you would find that Austria is 28.3% more expensive than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly €86,000 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 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Portugal and Austria.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €86,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 44.1% more
Groceries
pay 47.3% more
Transportation
pay 9.6% more
Housing
pay 18.4% more
Childcare
pay 35.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.3% 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%).
On average, cities in Austria cost about 11% more than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Portugal to Austria.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Austria compared to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Austria leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs better than Austria across all environment metrics.
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
Austria generally does better on infrastructure, though Portugal leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Austria performs significantly better than Portugal 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
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Austria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (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 | Lisbon | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
GeoSphere Austria
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
On average Austria is around 28% pricier than Portugal, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Austria?
Budget about €21,500 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?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Austria leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in adult obesity rate. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
