Austria
Profiled in Vienna · Central Europe
Imperial grandeur meets small-city calm, where the coffee is slow, the trams run on time, and life just works.
Cost of living
What a month costs
Cheaper than Zurich or Munich for the same quality of life.
The scores
How it rates for a moving family
See and do
Top 10 in Vienna
- Schonbrunn PalaceThe Habsburg summer palace with vast formal gardens.
- St. Stephen's CathedralThe gothic heart of the old town with its tiled roof.
- BelvedereBaroque palace holding Klimt's The Kiss.
- HofburgThe sprawling imperial winter palace complex.
- Kunsthistorisches MuseumWorld-class art under a grand domed hall.
- PraterThe park with the giant Ferris wheel and endless green paths.
- NaschmarktVienna's busiest food market, open six days a week.
- MuseumsQuartierA huge arts complex with courtyards to lounge in.
- Vienna State OperaOne of the world's great opera houses, with cheap standing tickets.
- HundertwasserhausA playful, colorful apartment block by the eccentric artist.
Where to go
Weekend escapes
- Wachau ValleyTerraced vineyards along the Danube, an hour west by train.
- SalzburgMozart, baroque squares and mountain backdrops, under three hours away.
- BratislavaSlovakia's capital sits an hour downriver, easy by boat or train.
- Lake NeusiedlFlat cycling country and windsurfing an hour southeast.
- SemmeringAlpine railway and mountain air, a classic Vienna escape by rail.
Coffee
Best cafes
- Cafe CentralGrand vaulted hall once frequented by Trotsky and Freud.
- Cafe SacherHome of the original Sachertorte behind the opera house.
- Cafe LandtmannElegant terrace cafe long favored by politicians and actors.
- Cafe SperlClassic billiard-hall cafe barely changed in a century.
- DemelHistoric imperial confectioner famed for its cakes.
Restaurants
Where to eat
- FiglmullerThe legendary schnitzel that hangs over the plate edge.
- PlachuttaThe temple of Tafelspitz, boiled beef done properly.
- SteirereckVienna's most celebrated fine-dining room in the Stadtpark.
- Gasthaus PocklCozy neighborhood spot for honest Viennese cooking.
- Zum Schwarzen KameelHistoric deli and restaurant beloved for its open sandwiches.
- GriechenbeislVienna's oldest inn, serving classics since the 1400s.
- UblOld-school Beisl with garden and hearty traditional plates.
Morning
Best breakfast
- Cafe PruckelRetro 1950s cafe with a solid all-morning breakfast.
- Joseph BrotExcellent bakery cafe for pastries and eggs.
- Cafe JelinekWood-stove warmth and an unhurried morning feel.
- UlrichBright brunch favorite on a leafy Neubau square.
- Cafe MoccaNeighborhood spot known for generous brunch plates.
- VollpensionGrandmothers bake the cakes at this cozy generational cafe.
- Cafe HawelkaBohemian institution famous for late Buchteln buns.
- Kleines CafeTiny charming cafe on Franziskanerplatz for coffee and rolls.
- Cafe MuseumGrand cafe near the opera good for a relaxed morning.
Residency
EU citizens simply register after arrival, while non-EU newcomers usually need a job, the Red-White-Red Card for skilled workers, or proof of self-sufficiency. Quotas are tight and German knowledge matters more the longer you stay.
Tax
Austria taxes residents on worldwide income at progressive rates that climb steeply, topping out at 55 percent. There is no wealth tax, but social contributions and consumption taxes add up, so the overall burden is high.
Thinking about moving here for real? See the verified Austria residency and citizenship routes →
Curious what you would actually pay? See the Austria tax profile: income, corporate, VAT and exit rules →
Nearby