Moving to Austria from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Austria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Austria, you would find that Austria is 85.4% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly €120,000 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Vienna averages 58°F vs 71°F in Johannesburg, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Austria cheaper than South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 80.0% more
Transportation
pay 16.2% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 91.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Austria?
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → €120,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
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 Austria cost about 42% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Austria, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Africa to Austria · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa 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
Austria performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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 South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Austria performs significantly better than South Africa 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 performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in top income tax rate.
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 generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Austria vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
South African Weather Service
GeoSphere AustriaCan you move from South Africa to Austria?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Required
Austria passport holder visiting South Africa
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 South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Austria run about 85% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around €30,000 in Austria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Austria?
With 30.1 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 South Africa and Austria.
Is Austria safe for expats?
Austria performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to South Africa?
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Austria
At a Glance
ZA
|
AT
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 9,208,163 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Euro (€) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | German |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +43 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |