Austria vs Poland
Austria is ahead on healthcare. Poland is ahead on taxes, cost of living, housing, infrastructure. Full criterion-by-criterion data below.
VerifiedUpdated
Scoreboard
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Poland leads on 4 of 6
Austria
1
Poland
4
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Konsumerhebung 2024/25 average all-household consumption €4,170/mo ÷ household size 2.17 = €1,922 per-capita; minus per-capita housing rentals (COICOP 041 actual €235 + 042 imputed €379 = €614/hh → €283/capita) = €1,639/mo excl rent; ×1.0562 CPI uplift to mid-2026 ×1.1399 USD = $1,973. Per-capita basis to match the other countries; a single-person household alone spends more (~$2,657).
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (BMF Einkommensteuer, SVS/GSVG)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue, 0 expenses = Basispauschalierung: 15% expense lump-sum (9,000) → profit 51,000; Grundfreibetrag capped 4,950; SVS 26.83% of 46,050 = 12,355; accident 156; income tax on 33,539 (less 13,539 allowance) = 5,155. Levies 17,666 → 29.44%. The standard actual-expenses route with no expenses runs ~37%, the GmbH all-dividends chain ~44%.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.61 in 2020 rising to 0.85 in 2024). UNODC/World Bank report ~0.88 for 2023. Very safe by international standards.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Austria
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 2023 daily country medians (2.78M download tests — 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; monthly medians ranged ~28.6–33.3 Mbps).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Austrian fixed broadband commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
EF EPI 2025 — Austria (rank 3/123, score 616, Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Austria ranked #3 globally and #1 in Europe, score 616 (Very High / C1 band). English is broadly workable in Vienna and the tech, service and academic sectors; German remains the sole official language and matters for administration and integration requirements.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Supplementary Sonderklasse cover (hospital special class + free choice of doctor) on top of the mandatory public ÖGK, healthy 35-year-old: market midpoint ≈ €100/mo = €1,200/yr → ≈ $1,368 at 1.1399 USD/EUR. Range ≈ $889 (basic, with deductible) to ≈ $2,599 (premium).
- Notes
- Austria has mandatory public health insurance (ÖGK, ~7.65% of income, shared) covering everyone in the system; unlike countries with full private replacement plans, the private market here is supplementary (Zusatzversicherung), so this is the top-up Sonderklasse premium, not a full-replacement policy. Adding an outpatient Privatarzt module (€40–145/mo) raises a full package to ≈ €150–250/mo.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
Verdict
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Poland fits better — 3 of 5
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (BMF Einkommensteuer, SVS/GSVG)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue, 0 expenses = Basispauschalierung: 15% expense lump-sum (9,000) → profit 51,000; Grundfreibetrag capped 4,950; SVS 26.83% of 46,050 = 12,355; accident 156; income tax on 33,539 (less 13,539 allowance) = 5,155. Levies 17,666 → 29.44%. The standard actual-expenses route with no expenses runs ~37%, the GmbH all-dividends chain ~44%.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Austria
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 2023 daily country medians (2.78M download tests — 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; monthly medians ranged ~28.6–33.3 Mbps).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Austrian fixed broadband commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
EF EPI 2025 — Austria (rank 3/123, score 616, Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Austria ranked #3 globally and #1 in Europe, score 616 (Very High / C1 band). English is broadly workable in Vienna and the tech, service and academic sectors; German remains the sole official language and matters for administration and integration requirements.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Konsumerhebung 2024/25 average all-household consumption €4,170/mo ÷ household size 2.17 = €1,922 per-capita; minus per-capita housing rentals (COICOP 041 actual €235 + 042 imputed €379 = €614/hh → €283/capita) = €1,639/mo excl rent; ×1.0562 CPI uplift to mid-2026 ×1.1399 USD = $1,973. Per-capita basis to match the other countries; a single-person household alone spends more (~$2,657).
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Österreichische Post AG — self-service / pickup network (post.at)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Austrian Post runs a very dense last-mile network: ~640 self-service pickup stations, ~120,000 pickup boxes and ~77,500 post boxes, with next-business-day standard parcel delivery; via the myflexbox cooperation (~550 shared stations) about 80% of all Austrian parcels can be received in one locker infrastructure. DHL, DPD, GLS and Hermes also deliver nationwide. Dense, fast, reliable → excellent.
InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
A close call for this plan
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.61 in 2020 rising to 0.85 in 2024). UNODC/World Bank report ~0.88 for 2023. Very safe by international standards.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Supplementary Sonderklasse cover (hospital special class + free choice of doctor) on top of the mandatory public ÖGK, healthy 35-year-old: market midpoint ≈ €100/mo = €1,200/yr → ≈ $1,368 at 1.1399 USD/EUR. Range ≈ $889 (basic, with deductible) to ≈ $2,599 (premium).
- Notes
- Austria has mandatory public health insurance (ÖGK, ~7.65% of income, shared) covering everyone in the system; unlike countries with full private replacement plans, the private market here is supplementary (Zusatzversicherung), so this is the top-up Sonderklasse premium, not a full-replacement policy. Adding an outpatient Privatarzt module (€40–145/mo) raises a full package to ≈ €150–250/mo.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
EF EPI 2025 — Austria (rank 3/123, score 616, Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Austria ranked #3 globally and #1 in Europe, score 616 (Very High / C1 band). English is broadly workable in Vienna and the tech, service and academic sectors; German remains the sole official language and matters for administration and integration requirements.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Poland fits better — 1 of 3
BMF — Tax treatment of crypto-assets (Ökosoziale Steuerreform, from 1 March 2022)
Official source
- Data as of
- Mar 1, 2022
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Holding and trading are legal. Since the eco-social tax reform (effective 1 March 2022), crypto income — current income (staking, lending) and realized capital gains — is taxed as income from capital assets at the special flat rate of 27.5% (§27a EStG), whether withheld as KESt or assessed via return. Crypto acquired before 1 Feb 2021 is grandfathered 'Altbestand'. EU MiCA and DAC8 reporting apply. A clear statutory tax plus the EU regulatory framework make this 'legal-regulated'.
Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 + Austrian FM-GwG
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Composite: EUR is fully convertible with no capital/exchange controls (EU/eurozone, free movement of capital under Art. 63 TFEU). Austria has no general national cash-payment cap; a harmonised EU-wide €10,000 cash limit takes effect 10 July 2027 (AMLR 2024/1624, not yet in force). Identity checks apply from €10,000 (CDD from €3,000). Non-resident banking available with standard KYC. Low state control over personal money flows.
biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (BMF Einkommensteuer, SVS/GSVG)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue, 0 expenses = Basispauschalierung: 15% expense lump-sum (9,000) → profit 51,000; Grundfreibetrag capped 4,950; SVS 26.83% of 46,050 = 12,355; accident 156; income tax on 33,539 (less 13,539 allowance) = 5,155. Levies 17,666 → 29.44%. The standard actual-expenses route with no expenses runs ~37%, the GmbH all-dividends chain ~44%.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Poland fits better — 2 of 2
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.61 in 2020 rising to 0.85 in 2024). UNODC/World Bank report ~0.88 for 2023. Very safe by international standards.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Konsumerhebung 2024/25 average all-household consumption €4,170/mo ÷ household size 2.17 = €1,922 per-capita; minus per-capita housing rentals (COICOP 041 actual €235 + 042 imputed €379 = €614/hh → €283/capita) = €1,639/mo excl rent; ×1.0562 CPI uplift to mid-2026 ×1.1399 USD = $1,973. Per-capita basis to match the other countries; a single-person household alone spends more (~$2,657).
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Details
Taxes
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileAustria29.4Polandstronger23.6
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Austria
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (BMF Einkommensteuer, SVS/GSVG)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 revenue, 0 expenses = Basispauschalierung: 15% expense lump-sum (9,000) → profit 51,000; Grundfreibetrag capped 4,950; SVS 26.83% of 46,050 = 12,355; accident 156; income tax on 33,539 (less 13,539 allowance) = 5,155. Levies 17,666 → 29.44%. The standard actual-expenses route with no expenses runs ~37%, the GmbH all-dividends chain ~44%.
Poland
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Legalization
01+−Remote-work legalization easeAustriaLong stay pathPolandLong stay path
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Austria
migration.gv.at — Red-White-Red Card: Self-employed Key Workers
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Austria has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa. The nearest long-stay route for a non-EU location-independent earner is the Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte for self-employed key workers, but it targets investment/value-adding entrepreneurs (≥ €100,000 investment, job creation, know-how transfer, or regional significance) — a laptop-only freelancer usually meets none of the four criteria. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens simply register (Anmeldebescheinigung) and freelance freely; Ukrainians have immediate self-employment rights under temporary protection. Classified 'long-stay-path'.
Poland
Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office — business-activity residence permit
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- No digital nomad visa (verified absent on gov.pl); Poland Business Harbour suspended since Jan 2024. Realistic long-stay route: temporary residence via business activity (renewable, up to 3 years) — but sole-proprietorship registration is limited to specific statuses, so most non-EU/non-US freelancers route through a company.
Cost of living
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentAustria1,973Polandstronger753
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Austria
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Konsumerhebung 2024/25 average all-household consumption €4,170/mo ÷ household size 2.17 = €1,922 per-capita; minus per-capita housing rentals (COICOP 041 actual €235 + 042 imputed €379 = €614/hh → €283/capita) = €1,639/mo excl rent; ×1.0562 CPI uplift to mid-2026 ×1.1399 USD = $1,973. Per-capita basis to match the other countries; a single-person household alone spends more (~$2,657).
Poland
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)
Statistik Austria — Konsumerhebung 2024/25 (all-households per-capita COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- All-household COICOP monthly averages ÷ household size 2.17 × 1.2040 (CPI uplift ×1.0562, FX ×1.1399) = per-capita USD/mo. Housing (04) split into non-rent sub-lines; rent (041+042) excluded. Items sum ≈ $1,971 ≈ the $1,973 headline. Health is out-of-pocket only (mandatory public ÖGK covers the rest).
GUS Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS 2024 one-person household spending by COICOP category, minus the actual-rentals line, CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×1.068) and converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Categories sum to the ~$753/mo cost-of-living aggregate. National average — city living runs somewhat higher.
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Vienna)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Apr 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Vienna; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
SettleMetric — population-weighted average of covered cities (Kraków, Warsaw)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Population-weighted mean of the rent-breakdown matrices of Kraków, Warsaw; each cell averages the cities that report it. See each city page for its exact local matrix.
Safety
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearAustria0.9Polandstronger0.7
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Austria
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.61 in 2020 rising to 0.85 in 2024). UNODC/World Bank report ~0.88 for 2023. Very safe by international standards.
Poland
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Healthcare
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldAustriastronger1,368Poland1,600
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Austria
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Supplementary Sonderklasse cover (hospital special class + free choice of doctor) on top of the mandatory public ÖGK, healthy 35-year-old: market midpoint ≈ €100/mo = €1,200/yr → ≈ $1,368 at 1.1399 USD/EUR. Range ≈ $889 (basic, with deductible) to ≈ $2,599 (premium).
- Notes
- Austria has mandatory public health insurance (ÖGK, ~7.65% of income, shared) covering everyone in the system; unlike countries with full private replacement plans, the private market here is supplementary (Zusatzversicherung), so this is the top-up Sonderklasse premium, not a full-replacement policy. Adding an outpatient Privatarzt module (€40–145/mo) raises a full package to ≈ €150–250/mo.
Poland
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
Money & crypto
01+−Crypto regulationAustriaLegal regulatedPolandLegal regulated
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Austria
BMF — Tax treatment of crypto-assets (Ökosoziale Steuerreform, from 1 March 2022)
Official source
- Data as of
- Mar 1, 2022
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Holding and trading are legal. Since the eco-social tax reform (effective 1 March 2022), crypto income — current income (staking, lending) and realized capital gains — is taxed as income from capital assets at the special flat rate of 27.5% (§27a EStG), whether withheld as KESt or assessed via return. Crypto acquired before 1 Feb 2021 is grandfathered 'Altbestand'. EU MiCA and DAC8 reporting apply. A clear statutory tax plus the EU regulatory framework make this 'legal-regulated'.
Poland
Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
02+−Financial control levelAustriaLowPolandLow
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Austria
EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 + Austrian FM-GwG
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Composite: EUR is fully convertible with no capital/exchange controls (EU/eurozone, free movement of capital under Art. 63 TFEU). Austria has no general national cash-payment cap; a harmonised EU-wide €10,000 cash limit takes effect 10 July 2027 (AMLR 2024/1624, not yet in force). Identity checks apply from €10,000 (CDD from €3,000). Non-resident banking available with standard KYC. Low state control over personal money flows.
Poland
biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
Infrastructure
01+−Domestic delivery qualityAustriaExcellentPolandExcellent
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Austria
Österreichische Post AG — self-service / pickup network (post.at)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Austrian Post runs a very dense last-mile network: ~640 self-service pickup stations, ~120,000 pickup boxes and ~77,500 post boxes, with next-business-day standard parcel delivery; via the myflexbox cooperation (~550 shared stations) about 80% of all Austrian parcels can be received in one locker infrastructure. DHL, DPD, GLS and Hermes also deliver nationwide. Dense, fast, reliable → excellent.
Poland
InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
02+−International delivery easeAustriaMinor frictionPolandMinor friction
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Austria
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market). For non-EU imports the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 applies a temporary flat customs duty per item on ≤€150 consignments (transitional until 2028); VAT is collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free — the same EU regime as other member states.
Poland
European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption (Reg. EU 2026/382)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 IOSS consignments (until the 2028 Customs Data Hub); VAT collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadAustria31.5Polandstronger41.7
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Austria
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Austria
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 2023 daily country medians (2.78M download tests — 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; monthly medians ranged ~28.6–33.3 Mbps).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Austrian fixed broadband commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion.
Poland
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
Language
01+−English proficiencyAustriaVery highPolandVery high
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Austria
EF EPI 2025 — Austria (rank 3/123, score 616, Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Austria ranked #3 globally and #1 in Europe, score 616 (Very High / C1 band). English is broadly workable in Vienna and the tech, service and academic sectors; German remains the sole official language and matters for administration and integration requirements.
Poland
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Deep dives: taxes in Austria ·taxes in Poland ·net-income calculator