Cost of Living: Milan vs Vienna (2026)

Italy vs Austria — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Milan

Vienna

$1,737/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,303/mo

−$20k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$7k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

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

Freelance setup

Regime Forfettario

VAT-free under €85k
26% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

EPU

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

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRVienna is 25% cheaper on rent ($1,303/mo vs $1,737/mo). English is much more widely spoken in Vienna. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Vienna scores 78 to Milan's 68 on livability — the gap is real. Milan has its charms, but the numbers favor Vienna.

How the livability score breaks down

Milan

Vienna

12.1/25

💰 Affordability

16.3/25

14.5/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14/15

4.6/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.2/10

6.7/15

⚡ Internet

7.6/15

11.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.4/15

5.4/10

🗣️ English

8.9/10

8.3/10

☀️ Climate

9.7/10

9/10

📊 Stability

7.1/10

8.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.1/10

7.4/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Vienna

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇮🇹 Milan

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Rome vs Milan

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Milan

Metric

Vienna

✓$760/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$877/mo

$9,944

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,164✓

80 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

87 / 100✓

✓0.5 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.0 / 100k

5.0 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.6 / 100k✓

46 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

72 / 100✓

82°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

32°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

28°F

90 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

101 Mbps✓

27.9 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

12.6 μg/m³✓

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

85 / 100

7.6 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10✓

✓6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.1 / 9

25 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100✓

29/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

74/100✓

$62k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$74k✓

✓1.0% · Practically frozen

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

89/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

92/100 — Reliable

87/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

93/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Milan takes home $2,350/mo under Standard employee. In Vienna: $3,986/mo under Standard employee.

$1,636/mo more in Vienna

🎯 Milan's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,962/mo instead.

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

$46k

💰

Gross income

$94k

−$13k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$29k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$17k

$28k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$48k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$48k

🏠

Cost of living

−$41k

−$20k/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

Vienna

$434/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Milan

0.5 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Vienna

8.3/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

82°F vs 75°F summers

🗣️

English

Vienna

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

57% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.7h

Shortest day

Dec

8.3h

15.7h

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

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fashionfinanceluxurytech

Industries

life-sciencesfintechict-softwarecreative

active

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Moderate

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)

Partner pathway

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

€2,583/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 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

Legal within first trimester. Counseling required.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union

Marriage

Legal

Step-child only

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Milan vs Vienna — Common Questions

Is Milan cheaper than Vienna?▾

Vienna is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1303/month there vs $1737/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Milan or Vienna?▾

Milan is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Milan has a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 and Vienna has 1.01 per 100,000.

Should I move to Milan or Vienna?▾

Vienna scores 78 to Milan's 68 on livability — the gap is real. Milan has its charms, but the numbers favor Vienna. 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 Milan or Vienna?▾

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

Which has better weather, Milan or Vienna?▾

Milan is warmer in summer (82°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 Milan or Vienna without speaking the local language?▾

Vienna is easier for street-level English (74/100) than Milan (29/100). 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 Milan vs Vienna?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1303/month in Vienna, $1737/month in Milan (Numbeo). That's 25% cheaper rent in Vienna.

Is Milan or Vienna better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Vienna scores 8.3/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 7.6/10 for Milan. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.