Cost of Living: Athens vs Vienna (2026)

Greece vs Austria — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Athens

Vienna

$737/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,303/mo

−$4k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$7k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

50% Foreign Income Exemption (Art. 5C), Non-Dom Regime (Art. 5A)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Zuzugsfreibetrag (Researcher Relocation Allowance), Flat-Rate Foreign Income Tax (Zuzugsbegünstigung)

Freelance setup

Self-employed

VAT-free under €10k
27% social
€700/yr accountant

WiseStripe

EPU

VAT-free under €42k
27% social
€1400/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRAthens is 43% cheaper on rent ($737/mo vs $1,303/mo). Athens summers average 90°F vs 75°F. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Too close to call — 78 vs 74. Vienna has a slight edge, but Athens might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Athens

Vienna

21.8/25

💰 Affordability

16.3/25

13.9/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14/15

4.5/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.2/10

7.4/15

⚡ Internet

7.6/15

12.1/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.4/15

8.1/10

🗣️ English

8.9/10

6.7/10

☀️ Climate

9.7/10

7.3/10

📊 Stability

7.1/10

7.5/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.1/10

6.9/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Vienna

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇬🇷 Athens

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Vienna vs Salzburg

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Athens

Metric

Vienna

✓$599/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$877/mo

✓$3,701

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,164

76 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

87 / 100✓

1.1 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.0 / 100k✓

7.3 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.6 / 100k✓

45 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

72 / 100✓

90°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

43°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

28°F

98 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

101 Mbps

12.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

12.6 μg/m³

77 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

85 / 100✓

8.1 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10

3.3 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.1 / 9✓

✓71 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100

61/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

74/100✓

$44k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$74k✓

✓2.7% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

75/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

92/100 — Reliable✓

85/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

93/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Athens takes home $1,983/mo under Standard employee. In Vienna: $3,986/mo under Standard employee.

$2,003/mo more in Vienna

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$34k

💰

Gross income

$94k

−$5k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$29k

−$5k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$17k

$24k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$48k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$28k

🏠

Cost of living

−$41k

−$4k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$7k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Athens

$566/mo cheaper on rent alone

☀️

Weather

—

90°F vs 75°F summers

🗣️

English

Vienna

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

72% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

9.5h

Shortest day

Dec

8.3h

14.8h

Longest day

Jun

16.1h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

improving ↑

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

tourism-techshippingfintechagritech

Industries

life-sciencesfintechict-softwarecreative

active

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Moderate

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

σύμφωνο συμβίωσης (symvono symviosis)

Partner pathway

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

€3,500/mo

Retiree visa

—

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

12 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

On request up to 12 weeks. Up to 24 weeks for rape or fetal abnormality.

Legal within first trimester. Counseling required.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Athens vs Vienna — Common Questions

Is Athens cheaper than Vienna?▾

Athens is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $737/month there vs $1303/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Athens or Vienna?▾

Vienna is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Athens has a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 and Vienna has 1.01 per 100,000.

Should I move to Athens or Vienna?▾

Too close to call — 78 vs 74. Vienna has a slight edge, but Athens might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Athens or Vienna?▾

Athens: Greece Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (extendable to 2)). Vienna: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Athens or Vienna?▾

Athens is warmer in summer (90°F vs 75°F). Vienna has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Athens or Vienna without speaking the local language?▾

Vienna is easier for street-level English (74/100) than Athens (61/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Athens vs Vienna?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $737/month in Athens, $1303/month in Vienna (Numbeo). That's 43% cheaper rent in Athens.

Is healthcare better in Athens or Vienna?▾

Vienna scores higher on our composite healthcare index (85/100 vs 77/100 for Athens). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.