Austria has high-quality medicine, inexpensive and prestigious education. There is a wonderful ecology and rich cultural life here. The authorities take care of every resident. All this makes the standard of living in the country one of the highest in the world.
Features of life in Austria
Located in the heart of Europe, Austria is a country with a rich cultural heritage, a high level of security, a favorable environment, and a stable economy. It is not for nothing that foreigners, including Russians, choose this state and move to live in Austria.
Climate
Austria is located in the temperate climate zone. Weather conditions are similar to the European part of Russia. In the north and east, temperatures drop lower in winter, while in the southern part of the country, winters are slightly warmer.
In the mountains the climate is completely different. It depends on the altitude above sea level. In winter, the temperature rarely drops below -10 C 0 , and in summer it can rise to +35 C 0 .
Comparison of living standards in major cities and the region
There are more opportunities in large cities. But Austrians themselves do not always live and work in the same city. The country is small, which allows people to work in the capital and live in the suburbs.
From lower Austria to upper Austria you can travel by train in about an hour and a half. But you can’t get there so quickly everywhere. For example, a trip from Linz to Salzburg and Vienna will take a little over an hour, and to Graz – more than two.
Usually locals do not live so far from work. An example would be Linz and Wels (10 minutes by train) or Vienna and St. Pölten. Rent in small towns is cheaper. Sometimes it’s easier to buy a travel pass than to look for an apartment in the capital.
Just under 60 thousand people live in Wels, but despite this there is no problem with shops, schools and kindergartens. There are also very small towns, like Rattenberg with 400 inhabitants, where you have to go to a neighboring town for shopping.
In large cities: Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, Steyr, there are more opportunities for foreigners. There you can find a good job, open a small business, learn the local language.
There is no particular difference in prices in large and small cities. The exception is real estate.
Austrian culture and mentality
Austria and Germany are mistakenly considered the same countries. In fact, Germans are very different from Austrians. The Austrians do not like their neighbors a little and even came up with the nickname Pifke for them, although this is more of a comic mockery than an enmity of nations. But you can’t compare an Austrian with a German. They may be offended.
Austrians don’t like to sit in the office all day. They prefer to start work early so that they can be free by noon.
Everyone has the right to rest, so everything is closed on Sundays and official holidays. For an emigrant, this may at first seem like a disadvantage. But later you realize the advantage: you can choose any specialty, even a cashier in a store, and be sure of your days off.
Although the official language of Austria is German, Austrians speak their own dialect. For example, potatoes are called Kartoffel in Germany, and Erdapfel in Austria. The pronunciation of words among Austrians is also different, but still the locals try to speak pure German with foreigners.
Austrians rely heavily on people’s integrity. For example, tickets on transport are rarely checked. Foreigners take advantage of this. But for violation there is a heavy fine – about 100 euros (for a ticket costing 2 euros).
Life in Austria means constant holidays, festivals and events. There are only 12 official holidays (weekends), and other than that: Folkfest, Oktoberfest, the theft of the maypole, Christmas market. On holidays, Austrians like to wear national clothing: lederhosen (leather shorts for men) and dirdnl (dress for women).
Local kitchen
Austrian cuisine was formed under the influence of European cuisine, but Viennese cuisine is considered traditional. Austrians prefer a continental breakfast: a cup of coffee and a sandwich with jam or meat. For lunch – hearty meat dishes and soups. Dinner is usually modest: salad or sandwiches.
Traditional Austrian dishes: apple strudel, chocolate Sacher cake with orange soaking, schnitzel with potato salad and goulash.
Restaurants and cafes do not always serve purely Austrian cuisine. There are also themed ones: Italian pizzerias, Japanese sushi restaurants, Turkish kebab stalls.
The attitude of Austrians towards foreigners
Austrians have a positive attitude towards visitors; there is no prejudice or contempt. The locals are very friendly and ready to help a foreigner. The main thing is to say hello in German and ask about knowledge of other languages. If you start speaking English right away, you might shrug your shoulders and move on.
Dictionary for the traveler: greetings Gruß Gott (Gruz Gott) and Servus (sevus), Danke (danke) – thank you, Bitte (Bitte) – please.
Everything is strict in relation to refugees in Austria. No one will just allow you to live on benefits. Unlike neighboring Germany, Austria has clearly stated that it can only accept a limited number of refugees. Although there are migrants from Arab countries, most of them are decent: they study, work and try to integrate into society.
Standard of living in Austria
Austria is a country with a stable economy, low crime rates and high salaries. There is development potential here for visitors. Students can receive a prestigious education, specialists can get a well-paid job, and wealthy pensioners can meet their old age with dignity.
Work and career
Highly qualified specialists are valued in Austria. There are relocation programs for them. Foreigners are especially attracted by the high salary. Even without qualifications (cleaners, loaders, security guards, cloakroom attendants, packers, packers, etc.) you can earn about 1,000 euros per month.
You can find work in Austria in giant companies (BWM, Porsche, Siemens, Red Bull) or in smaller companies. In international organizations, knowledge of English is often sufficient. But in purely Austrian courses, good conversational German is a must.
You don’t have to work for a company. Austria has favorable conditions for freelancers. To do this, you do not need to register an individual business. It is enough to fill out some papers with the tax office and pay a percentage of the income.
Salaries in Austria
To earn a lot, a foreigner must have an education. And the higher the academic degree, the greater the prospects for career growth. The highest salaries in Austria are for doctors (up to 16,000 per month for cardiologists), engineers, programmers (up to 8,000 euros depending on the position) and bank employees (up to 6,000 euros).
The average family income in Austria after paying all taxes is more than 30 thousand euros per year. This is 2 times more than in Russia.
The salaries of university graduates are much lower. Without experience, but with a good higher education, you can count on 2,000 – 3,000 euros per month excluding taxes. Trainees who have not yet completed their studies receive about 500-900 euros, but they only work 20 hours a week.
Unskilled workers are most often paid hourly. An hour of work by a cleaner or waiter is not that expensive – about 7-10 euros. Although this salary is considered very low, you can live on this money.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate in Austria is quite low – about 12% of the total population. Most of them are young people under 25, who are most likely still studying.
Unemployed people can register with the Labor Exchange Service (AMS), where they will be assisted in finding a suitable position. This way you can receive benefits, the amount of which depends on your region of residence. Usually it is less than 800 euros.
Sometimes they prescribe free advanced training courses, which you need to work on after completion. If a person refuses to study, then the “unemployed” status is suspended for at least 6 weeks and benefits are deprived.
Pension and social benefits for children in Austria
Austria takes care of its citizens by actively providing financial support. Large and low-income families can receive one-time cash payments and be exempt from taxation, and attend educational institutions for free. And pregnant women and young mothers have the right to receive benefits from the company if they are employed.
Austrians retire at 65, Austrians at 60. The size of the pension depends on length of service, but there is a set minimum of 750 euros (even for those who have not worked). Widows and widowers of pensioners can receive a pension. There is a disability pension.
Taxation
Main taxes in Austria:
- Income tax . The income tax percentage depends on salary. The higher your earnings, the more you need to pay to the tax office. If the income is less than 11,000 euros per year, then the citizen is exempt from paying taxes.
- Corporate tax. Applies to legal entities and amounts to 25%.
- Value added tax – 20%.
- Tax on the purchase of real estate. 3.5% of the purchase amount is the standard duty. There are discounts. 2% of the cost of the house must be given to the state if the purchase and sale is carried out between close relatives.
Health care system
According to WHO (World Health Organization), medicine in Austria is one of the best in the world. The average life expectancy in Austria is 81 years.
Each employee has health insurance, which is paid in part or in full by the employer. Many people choose to have joint insurance coverage for all family members, including unemployed spouses and children.
Insurance companies for certain categories of workers (civil servants, businessmen, railway workers) do not fully cover the cost of medical services. And therefore, the patient has to pay approximately 15% on his own.
Foreigners who come to Austria for permanent residence are themselves responsible for signing a contract with an insurance company if they are not employed. State insurance in this case is very expensive – 440 euros per month. The contract is terminated if payment is not made within 2 months. Once your insurance is closed, you cannot submit a claim to the same company for 6 months. We’ll have to look for an alternative.
For foreign students, insurance is cheaper – about 60 euros per month. Prices are the same in public and private companies.
Appointment with a doctor in Austria
You need to make an appointment with a doctor in Austria in advance. If you go on a first-come, first-served basis to a city hospital, you can spend about 3 hours waiting.
Most medical services are provided free of charge, or rather, covered by insurance. If you have a state policy, you don’t need to think about checks at all. But in some private companies you need to send an invoice, which will be paid by the insurer.
The initial consultation with patients is carried out by a family doctor. Only through him you can get free access to specialized specialists.
Availability of medicines
In Austria, you can buy only the most harmless medications without a prescription:
- antipyretic powders,
- cough lozenges,
- nasal drops.
If you need serious treatment, you need to go to the doctor and get a prescription. Some life-saving medications (such as insulin) are partially covered by insurance.
Education system in Austria
School education in Austria is free for citizens of the country. Children must complete 9 years of education, and what to do next is up to them to decide for themselves. After graduating from school, you can continue your studies at the university or receive secondary specialized education in courses.
Study dates:
- primary school (Volksschule) – 4 years;
- secondary school (Hauptschule) – 5 years;
- senior classes according to the profile (schools with a humanitarian, technical focus) – an additional two or three years.
After graduating from high school, graduates receive a certificate (Matura), with which they can enter university. Higher education is divided into three levels:
- Bachelor’s degree – 3 years.
- Master’s degree – 2 years.
- Doctoral degree (PhD) – from two years.
Tuition prices
Education in German in regular schools is free. But there are also private educational institutions. One year of them can cost 2,000-30,000 euros.
Studying at universities is free for everyone. Foreigners must pay more than Austrians, a minimum of 726 euros per semester.
The prestige of Austrian certificates and diplomas
Austrian schools and universities do not occupy the first lines of world rankings, but this does not mean that a certificate or diploma will not be recognized abroad.
The best faculties are considered to be educational and scientific departments of law, economics, and technical sciences. The issued diploma meets international standards. With it you can get any job, especially in Europe.
Many educational institutions do not have entrance exams. If a foreigner does not know German, he can choose a program in English and at the same time take German courses.
Language schools and preparatory programs
Every year thousands of foreigners come to Austria to study German. There are short and long courses, classes to prepare for language exams and summer camps for children. The cost depends on the chosen school – from 300 euros per month.
Austrian universities have preparatory programs for foreigners. They were created to learn the language and prepare for university studies.
Cost of living in Austria
Before moving, you need to consider the cost of housing, food, hygiene items and transportation costs.
Buying a property
The leader in real estate purchases among Russians is Vienna. Housing prices in Austria are very high. For an apartment in a new building you will have to pay 2-3 thousand euros per square meter.
Flat rent
Even native Austrians cannot always afford to buy their own apartment. They can spend their whole lives in rented housing, paying rent.
To rent a good apartment, you need to pay 800-1,500 euros per month. This is a completely acceptable amount, considering that the average salary in Austria is 3,500 euros. Students usually rent an apartment for several people. It turns out approximately 300-600 euros for each.
Food prices
To buy groceries in Austria you need about 400-600 euros per month. Organic, vegetarian products are much more expensive than conventional ones.
Product prices vary by store. In supermarkets Billa, Spar, Unimarkt everything costs more than in Lidl and Hofer. At the end of the week there are many discounts up to 50% in stores.
Average food prices in Austria in 2023:
- bread – from 1.39 euros per loaf;
- milk – from 1.5 euros;
- meat – from 15 to 30 euros per kg;
- sausage products – from 7 euros/kg;
- cheese – from 7 euros to 30;
- fish – from 15 euros/kg;
- potatoes – from 2 euros/kg;
- eggs – from 2.5 euros/dozen;
- beer – from 1 euro, strong alcohol – from 7 euros.
Home delivery of groceries is popular in Austria. Most stores even offer free shipping over a certain purchase amount.
The average bill for dinner for two in a cafe will be approximately 20-40 euros. Almost every fast food restaurant offers free home delivery for orders over 10 euros.
There are Russian stores in most major cities in Austria. They sell all Russian products that are not available in Austria: dumplings, condensed milk, sweets, tea. Prices are 2 times higher than in Russia.
Telephone and Internet
The cost of telephone communication in Austria starts from 10 euros per month. Previously, you could buy a SIM card in any supermarket, but now you need to enter into an agreement with the provider.
The cost of home Internet in Austria starts from 20 euros. A Wi-Fi router is usually given as a gift when concluding a contract. Minimum contract for 2 years. If you stop paying for the Internet, it will be turned off. In this case, penalties will be charged.
In Austria there is a law that obliges everyone who has a TV at home to connect 10 federal channels. Subscription cost is 20 euros per month.
Advantages of Austria
- Location in the very center of Europe.
- Rich ancient architecture.
- Tuition is cheaper than in other European countries. The diploma is recognized throughout the world.
- Favorable environmental situation in the country.
- Rich cultural life. Possibility of a wonderful holiday, especially in winter (you can go to ski resorts).
- Stable economy.
- The standard of living in Austria in 2022-2023 is one of the best in the world.
- Austria has one of the best public transport systems in the world (buses, trams, high-speed trains, metro).
- High level of medical care.
- The ability to move freely throughout the countries of the European Union.
- Low crime rate.
Disadvantages of living in Austria
- Real estate is an expensive pleasure that not everyone can afford.
- Constant lack of parking spaces.
- It is impossible to buy medicine at a pharmacy without prescriptions and recommendations from a doctor.
- Extension of training. Some students, having studied 9 semesters, may still remain at the first level of study. This is because teachers give a lot of freedom to students. Attending lectures is voluntary. But then you will have to take exams.
- It is difficult to find a job without knowing German. Although Austria ranks 8th in Europe for English proficiency, the choice is limited. You can only get a job in international companies.