Moving to Austria from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Austria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Austria, you would find that Austria is 5.4% more expensive than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly €58,361 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United States to Austria.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → €58,361
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 23.2% more
Groceries
pay 4.6% more
Transportation
pay 29.9% more
Housing
pay 5.6% less
Childcare
pay 45.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.5% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to Austria, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States 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 United States 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 United States leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
United States generally does better on environment, though Austria leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
United States 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
United States 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 United States leads in education spending.
Data: Internal Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
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 holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 United States?
Generally yes: Austria runs about 11% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 €14,590 in Austria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Austria?
With 29.6 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 United States and Austria.
Is Austria safe for expats?
Austria performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to United States?
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 36.1 in United States. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In United States, the official language is English.
National Weather Service
GeoSphere Austria