Moving to Austria from South Carolina

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Carolina to Austria — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from South Carolina to Austria, you would find that Austria is 13.4% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly €70,327 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Carolina to Austria.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 €70,327

To maintain the same standard of living in Austria

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 20.0% more

Groceries

pay 4.7% more

Transportation

pay 50.5% more

Housing

pay 0.6% less

Childcare

pay 38.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8717 EUR (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Get free moving quotes to Austria

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from South Carolina to Austria, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,933

people moved from United States 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

How South Carolina and Austria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

SC
35.4%
AT
20.1%

Austria performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

SC
87.0%
AT
93.0%

Austria performs significantly better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SC
4.9%
AT
5.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

SC
$49,914
AT
$64,600

South Carolina generally does better on employment & economy, though Austria leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

SC
74.8 yrs
AT
82.3 yrs

Austria performs significantly better than South Carolina across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Columbia Vienna
Jan–Mar 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) 43°/31°F (6°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) 67°/50°F (20°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 75°/58°F (24°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) 48°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Columbia Vienna
Jan 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C)
Feb 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C)
Mar 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C)
Apr 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C)
May 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C)
Jun 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C)
Jul 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C)
Aug 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C)
Sep 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C)
Oct 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C)
Nov 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C)
Dec 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Austria without a visa.
Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Austria passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.

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 South Carolina?

Day-to-day costs in Austria run about 8% higher than South Carolina 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around €17,582 in Austria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Austria?

Working remotely from Austria's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Carolina and Austria.

How is healthcare in Austria compared to South Carolina?

Austria performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Austria compared to South Carolina?

The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.

What language do they speak in Austria?

The official language in Austria is German. In South Carolina, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

AT
Population 4,625,364 8,913,088
Currency United States Dollar ($) Euro (€)
Languages English German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +43
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112