Cost of Living: Vienna vs Salzburg (2026)

Austria vs Austria — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Vienna

Salzburg

$1,303/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,537/mo

$7k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$2k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

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

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

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

Freelance setup

EPU

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

WiseStripe

EPU

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

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRVienna is 15% cheaper on rent ($1,303/mo vs $1,537/mo). Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.

Too close to call — 78 vs 75. Vienna has a slight edge, but Salzburg might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Vienna

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇦🇹 Salzburg

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Vienna vs Graz

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Vienna

Metric

Salzburg

✓$877/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$978/mo

✓$7,164

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,943

87 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

88 / 100

1.0 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.9 / 100k✓

4.6 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.6 / 100k

72 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

80 / 100✓

75°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

28°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

28°F

101 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

—

12.6 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

8.6 μg/m³✓

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

8.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10

6.1 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.1 / 9

50 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100

74/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

74/100

$74k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$74k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

92/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

—

93/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

93/100

A median Software Engineer in Vienna takes home $3,986/mo under Standard employee. In Salzburg: $3,597/mo under Standard employee.

$389/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.

$94k

💰

Gross income

$81k

−$29k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$23k

−$17k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$15k

✓$48k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$43k/yr

$4k/mo

−$41k

🏠

Cost of living

−$45k

✓$7k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

−$2k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰

Cost of Living

Vienna

$233/mo cheaper on rent alone

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

37% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.3h

Shortest day

Dec

8.5h

16.1h

Longest day

Jun

15.9h

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

improving ↑

Inflation trend

stable →

life-sciencesfintechict-softwarecreative

Industries

—

active

Startup ecosystem

—

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Moderate

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

Partner pathway

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

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

14 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

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

Vienna vs Salzburg — Common Questions

Is Vienna cheaper than Salzburg?▾

Vienna is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1303/month there vs $1537/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Vienna or Salzburg?▾

Salzburg is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Vienna has a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 and Salzburg has 0.88 per 100,000.

Should I move to Vienna or Salzburg?▾

Too close to call — 78 vs 75. Vienna has a slight edge, but Salzburg 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 Vienna or Salzburg?▾

Vienna: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). Salzburg: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1303/month in Vienna, $1537/month in Salzburg (Numbeo). That's 15% cheaper rent in Vienna.