Moving to Austria from United States

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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 Far Will Your Money Go?

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

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8744 EUR (July 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.

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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.

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 United States and Austria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

US
6.4
AT
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

US
14.2
AT
4.6

Austria performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

US
$13,473
AT
$8,250
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

US
36.1
AT
55.1

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

US
14.0
AT
17.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

US
13.6t
AT
6.3t

United States generally does better on environment, though Austria leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

US
37.8
AT
29.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

US
28.2%
AT
8.7%

United States generally does better on infrastructure, though Austria leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

US
3.6%
AT
5.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

US
$73,600
AT
$64,600

United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Austria leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

US
80.6 yrs
AT
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

US
5.2
AT
3.2

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.

Washington Rain: 41.5 in/yr (1055 mm)
66° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

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)

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 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.

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At a Glance

US AT
Population 337,341,954 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