Moving to Austria from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Austria? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Austria, you would find that Austria is 35.9% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly €42,800 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Austria.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → €42,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 37.0% less
Groceries
pay 18.5% less
Transportation
pay 32.6% less
Housing
pay 39.2% less
Childcare
pay 67.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 39.1% 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.
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 36% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Austria.
people moved from Switzerland to Austria · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Austria compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on infrastructure, though Austria leads in electricity per capita.
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
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Austria leads in poverty 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 Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (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 | Bern | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
GeoSphere Austria
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
On average Austria is about 36% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Austria?
Budget about €10,700 for 3 months in Austria (based on a CHF62,000 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?
Switzerland performs better than Austria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
