Moving to Austria from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Austria — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Austria, you would find that Austria is 25.3% more expensive than Spain overall. A €67,000 salary in Spain would need to be roughly €83,900 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 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly cooler.
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 Spain to Austria.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €83,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 19.4% more
Groceries
pay 31.5% more
Transportation
pay 18.7% more
Housing
pay 21.9% more
Childcare
pay 47.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.4% 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 4% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Spain to Austria, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Austria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than Austria 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
Spain 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
Spain 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
Spain 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
Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain 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
Spain 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), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (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 | Madrid | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
GeoSphere AustriaVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
No — Austria is on average about 25% more expensive than Spain. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Austria?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €20,975 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?
Spain performs better than Austria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to Spain?
Spain 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 42.9 in Spain. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
