CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
SalzburgvsVienna.
Salzburg and Vienna are even on the headline facts, with 1 stronger results each out of 8. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Salzburg $1,973/mo, Vienna $1,973/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Salzburg 29.4%, Vienna 29.4%. Climate comfort: Salzburg 3/12 mo, Vienna 6/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 18 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
at / at · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
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
Even — 1 of 8 each
Salzburg
1
Vienna
1
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).
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).
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 (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%.
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 (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.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (GeoSphere Austria 1991–2020, Salzburg Freisaal)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: April (16.8 °C, 92.0 mm), September (20.4 °C, 144.8 mm), October (15.0 °C, 103.4 mm) = 3. May (20.3 °C, 169.7 mm), June (24.1 °C, 191.1 mm), July (25.0 °C, 182.7 mm), August (24.7 °C, 192.6 mm) are warm enough but too wet. January, February, March, November, December are too cool (mean daily maximum below 15 °C). October sits exactly on the 15 °C floor (15.0 °C) and counts; at the airport station (14.4 °C) it would not, and the count would be 2.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (17.2), May (20.7), Jun (25.1), Jul (26.4), Aug (26.1), Sep (21.1) = 6 (Oct just misses at 14.3°C).
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 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.
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 — 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.
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 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.
Umweltbundesamt — Jahresbericht der Luftgütemessungen in Österreich 2024 (REP-0953), Tabelle 77
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the 2024 annual means at the city's two PM2.5 compliance stations (IG-L), both gravimetric, as Table 77 of the Umweltbundesamt's annual report gives them: Salzburg Rudolfsplatz (traffic, 8.1 µg/m³) and Salzburg Lehen Paumannpark (background, 7.5), each with 100% data availability. Each value matches the station's validated 2024 annual mean in the EEA's air-quality statistics (E1a), where the compliance series is listed beside the parallel monitor. The research station at the airport (7.2, 95% availability) is not a compliance station and is left out.
- Notes
- Below both the current limit of 25 µg/m³ and the 10 µg/m³ annual limit that EU Directive 2024/2881 sets from 1 January 2030; the WHO's 2021 guideline is 5. Lehen is one of the five stations behind Austria's national average-exposure indicator. The parallel continuous monitors at the same two stations read lower (6.8 and 7.0).
Stadt Wien — Luftgütebericht 2024, Feinstaub PM2.5 (MA22 / Umweltbundesamt network)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Average of the Vienna network's 2024 annual means; valid stations ranged 9 (Lobau) to 11 (Taborstraße) µg/m³. The EU limit (25 µg/m³) was met at every station; 2024 was among the cleanest years in two decades.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit. Winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
02
Which city fits your plan?
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.
A close call for this plan
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 (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%.
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 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.
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 — 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.
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).
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).
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.
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.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
A close call for this plan
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 27, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified: SALIS - Salzburg International School appears on the IB's own school page as a state school authorised for the Diploma Programme on 10 April 2020, IB school code 060778, teaching in English and German; it is the international stream of the Bundesgymnasium Zaunergasse in the city, which salis.or.at redirects to. ibo.org answers our requests with a Cloudflare challenge, so the page was read through its Internet Archive snapshot of 2025-09-11 and the canonical address is cited. Registries read on 2026-09-27: the CIS membership directory has no member in the city, COBIS's school-search data lists no school in Austria, and the only Accredited European School in Austria is in Tyrol.
- Notes
- FLOOR, city only. St Gilgen International School — CIS 'Accredited', with the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes flagged in its CIS record — is 24 km east of the Residenzplatz on the Wolfgangsee; counting it would make 2. Cambridge International's school finder renders only in a browser, so Cambridge-registered schools were not enumerated.
Accreditor registries (IB World Schools, AEFE) — per-school verification
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Vienna-metro schools each confirmed against a qualifying accreditor: (1) Vienna International School — IB; (2) American International School Vienna — IB DP + US/MSA; (3) Danube International School Vienna — IB; (4) AMADEUS International School Vienna — IB + CIS; (5) International Christian School of Vienna — IB DP; (6) Gymnasium Klosterneuburg International School — IB; (7) International Highschool Herzogberg (Perchtoldsdorf) — IB; (8) Lycée Français de Vienne — AEFE-homologated. Aggregator sites were used only to find candidates.
- Notes
- Verified FLOOR of 8 (7 IB World Schools + 1 AEFE French school). KIS (Klosterneuburg) and Herzogberg (Perchtoldsdorf) sit just outside the city line but within the metro; strictly in-city the count is 6. Additional schools may hold qualifying accreditation but were not each individually verified this cycle.
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 (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.
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 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.
Umweltbundesamt — Jahresbericht der Luftgütemessungen in Österreich 2024 (REP-0953), Tabelle 77
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the 2024 annual means at the city's two PM2.5 compliance stations (IG-L), both gravimetric, as Table 77 of the Umweltbundesamt's annual report gives them: Salzburg Rudolfsplatz (traffic, 8.1 µg/m³) and Salzburg Lehen Paumannpark (background, 7.5), each with 100% data availability. Each value matches the station's validated 2024 annual mean in the EEA's air-quality statistics (E1a), where the compliance series is listed beside the parallel monitor. The research station at the airport (7.2, 95% availability) is not a compliance station and is left out.
- Notes
- Below both the current limit of 25 µg/m³ and the 10 µg/m³ annual limit that EU Directive 2024/2881 sets from 1 January 2030; the WHO's 2021 guideline is 5. Lehen is one of the five stations behind Austria's national average-exposure indicator. The parallel continuous monitors at the same two stations read lower (6.8 and 7.0).
Stadt Wien — Luftgütebericht 2024, Feinstaub PM2.5 (MA22 / Umweltbundesamt network)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Average of the Vienna network's 2024 annual means; valid stations ranged 9 (Lobau) to 11 (Taborstraße) µg/m³. The EU limit (25 µg/m³) was met at every station; 2024 was among the cleanest years in two decades.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit. Winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
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 — 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.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
A close call for this plan
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'.
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'.
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.
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.
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 (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%.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
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 (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.
Umweltbundesamt — Jahresbericht der Luftgütemessungen in Österreich 2024 (REP-0953), Tabelle 77
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the 2024 annual means at the city's two PM2.5 compliance stations (IG-L), both gravimetric, as Table 77 of the Umweltbundesamt's annual report gives them: Salzburg Rudolfsplatz (traffic, 8.1 µg/m³) and Salzburg Lehen Paumannpark (background, 7.5), each with 100% data availability. Each value matches the station's validated 2024 annual mean in the EEA's air-quality statistics (E1a), where the compliance series is listed beside the parallel monitor. The research station at the airport (7.2, 95% availability) is not a compliance station and is left out.
- Notes
- Below both the current limit of 25 µg/m³ and the 10 µg/m³ annual limit that EU Directive 2024/2881 sets from 1 January 2030; the WHO's 2021 guideline is 5. Lehen is one of the five stations behind Austria's national average-exposure indicator. The parallel continuous monitors at the same two stations read lower (6.8 and 7.0).
Stadt Wien — Luftgütebericht 2024, Feinstaub PM2.5 (MA22 / Umweltbundesamt network)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Average of the Vienna network's 2024 annual means; valid stations ranged 9 (Lobau) to 11 (Taborstraße) µg/m³. The EU limit (25 µg/m³) was met at every station; 2024 was among the cleanest years in two decades.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit. Winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
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).
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).
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (GeoSphere Austria 1991–2020, Salzburg Freisaal)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: April (16.8 °C, 92.0 mm), September (20.4 °C, 144.8 mm), October (15.0 °C, 103.4 mm) = 3. May (20.3 °C, 169.7 mm), June (24.1 °C, 191.1 mm), July (25.0 °C, 182.7 mm), August (24.7 °C, 192.6 mm) are warm enough but too wet. January, February, March, November, December are too cool (mean daily maximum below 15 °C). October sits exactly on the 15 °C floor (15.0 °C) and counts; at the airport station (14.4 °C) it would not, and the count would be 2.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (17.2), May (20.7), Jun (25.1), Jul (26.4), Aug (26.1), Sep (21.1) = 6 (Oct just misses at 14.3°C).
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileSalzburg29.4Vienna29.4
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.
Salzburg
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%.
Vienna
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%.
02
Legalization
01+−Remote-work legalization easeSalzburgLong stay pathViennaLong 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.
Salzburg
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'.
Vienna
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'.
03
Cost of living
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentSalzburg1,973Vienna1,973
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.
Salzburg
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).
Vienna
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).
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 $1,973 headline. Health is out-of-pocket only (mandatory public ÖGK covers the rest).
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 27, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- €/m²/month × standard floor areas (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²), the construction used for the French and Montenegrin cities. ImmoScout24.at, whose robots.txt admits all crawlers, reported 165 flats for rent in Salzburg on 2026-09-27; its 7 result pages render 105 listing cards, posted between 2026-04-14 and 2026-09-26. Kept: 97, after dropping 3 without a price or floor area; 4 short-term, serviced, all-inclusive or student-residence lets and 1 repeat advertisement of the same flat (same price, area and address). The price is the listing's total monthly cost — net rent, operating costs and VAT. Centre = within 1.5 km of the Residenzplatz (32 listings, median €21.182/m², range €13.82–45.02); outside = the rest of the city (59, median €24.390, €14.63–43.77); 6 listings without usable coordinates count only in the city-wide median (€23.79, all 97). Converted at the ECB reference rate in data/fx-rates.json (EUR 1 = USD 1.1534, 2026-08-13): studio $733 / $844, 1br $977 / $1,125, 2br $1,466 / $1,688, 3br $2,077 / $2,391.
- Notes
- ASKING RENTS, STANDARDISED. ImmoScout24's own analysis of the listings it carried from January to April 2026 put Salzburg's median gross asking rent at €21.96/m² (press release of 21 May 2026); this September snapshot's city-wide €23.79 is 8.3% higher. A flat €/m² prices a 40 m² one-bedroom; the median centre listing with two rooms (Austrian room counts include the living room) asked €1,400 for 66 m². SMALL SAMPLE: ImmoScout24.at carries far fewer Salzburg listings than Graz ones, and willhaben, the other major Austrian portal, forbids automated access in its robots.txt, so it was not used. As in Graz, the outer districts ask more per m² than the centre.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 27, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- €/m²/month × standard floor areas (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²), the construction used for Graz, Salzburg and Innsbruck and for the French and Montenegrin cities. ImmoScout24.at, whose robots.txt admits all crawlers, caps a search at 100 result pages, so Vienna was read district by district on 2026-09-27: its 23 district searches reported 3,590 flats for rent across 154 result pages, which render 2,216 listing cards, posted between 2024-07-23 and 2026-09-27. Kept: 1,990, after dropping 49 new-build project cards that carry a price range rather than one flat; 20 without a price or floor area; 49 short-term, serviced, all-inclusive or student-residence lets and 108 repeat advertisements of the same flat (same price, area and address). The price is the listing's total monthly cost — net rent, operating costs and VAT. Centre = within 1.5 km of Stephansplatz (144 listings, median €25.031/m², range €15.27–77.13); outside = the rest of the city (1,277, median €22.316, €7.00–66.00); 569 listings without usable coordinates count only in the city-wide median (€22.99, all 1,990). Converted at the ECB reference rate in data/fx-rates.json (EUR 1 = USD 1.1534, 2026-08-13): studio $866 / $772, 1br $1,155 / $1,030, 2br $1,732 / $1,544, 3br $2,454 / $2,188.
- Notes
- ASKING RENTS, STANDARDISED. ImmoScout24's own analysis of the listings it carried from January to April 2026 put Vienna's median gross asking rent at €22.45/m² (press release of 21 May 2026); this September snapshot's city-wide €22.99 is 2.4% higher. A flat €/m² prices a 40 m² one-bedroom; the median centre listing with two rooms (Austrian room counts include the living room) asked €1,879 for 68 m². Split the older way, by district rather than distance — districts 1–9 inside the Gürtel against 10–23 — the medians are €24.11 (675 listings) and €22.18 (1,315). Until 2026-09-27 Vienna was priced on metrox district averages times a size premium over 35/50/70/95 m² flats, which gave a central one-bedroom of $1,433. PAID RENTS ARE FAR LOWER: Statistik Austria's Mikrozensus Wohnen 2025 (Table 1.22) puts the average rent of Vienna's main tenancies, operating costs included, at €10.58/m² — €8.37 in municipal (Gemeindebau) flats, €9.01 in cooperative flats and €12.92 in other main tenancies — and 42.4% of Vienna households live in municipal or cooperative housing (20.3% and 22.1%, Table 1.3). Those are averages over sitting tenancies, not what a new lease asks.
05
Safety
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearSalzburg0.9Vienna0.9
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).
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
06
Climate
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearSalzburg3Viennastronger6
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Salzburg
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (GeoSphere Austria 1991–2020, Salzburg Freisaal)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: April (16.8 °C, 92.0 mm), September (20.4 °C, 144.8 mm), October (15.0 °C, 103.4 mm) = 3. May (20.3 °C, 169.7 mm), June (24.1 °C, 191.1 mm), July (25.0 °C, 182.7 mm), August (24.7 °C, 192.6 mm) are warm enough but too wet. January, February, March, November, December are too cool (mean daily maximum below 15 °C). October sits exactly on the 15 °C floor (15.0 °C) and counts; at the airport station (14.4 °C) it would not, and the count would be 2.
Vienna
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (17.2), May (20.7), Jun (25.1), Jul (26.4), Aug (26.1), Sep (21.1) = 6 (Oct just misses at 14.3°C).
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Salzburgstronger7.8Vienna10
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Salzburg
Umweltbundesamt — Jahresbericht der Luftgütemessungen in Österreich 2024 (REP-0953), Tabelle 77
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the 2024 annual means at the city's two PM2.5 compliance stations (IG-L), both gravimetric, as Table 77 of the Umweltbundesamt's annual report gives them: Salzburg Rudolfsplatz (traffic, 8.1 µg/m³) and Salzburg Lehen Paumannpark (background, 7.5), each with 100% data availability. Each value matches the station's validated 2024 annual mean in the EEA's air-quality statistics (E1a), where the compliance series is listed beside the parallel monitor. The research station at the airport (7.2, 95% availability) is not a compliance station and is left out.
- Notes
- Below both the current limit of 25 µg/m³ and the 10 µg/m³ annual limit that EU Directive 2024/2881 sets from 1 January 2030; the WHO's 2021 guideline is 5. Lehen is one of the five stations behind Austria's national average-exposure indicator. The parallel continuous monitors at the same two stations read lower (6.8 and 7.0).
Vienna
Stadt Wien — Luftgütebericht 2024, Feinstaub PM2.5 (MA22 / Umweltbundesamt network)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Average of the Vienna network's 2024 annual means; valid stations ranged 9 (Lobau) to 11 (Taborstraße) µg/m³. The EU limit (25 µg/m³) was met at every station; 2024 was among the cleanest years in two decades.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the EU limit. Winter heating and traffic are the main sources.
07
Healthcare
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldSalzburg1,368Vienna1,368
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.
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
08
Money & crypto
01+−Crypto regulationSalzburgLegal regulatedViennaLegal 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.
Salzburg
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'.
Vienna
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'.
02+−Financial control levelSalzburgLowViennaLow
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.
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
09
Infrastructure
01+−Domestic delivery qualitySalzburgExcellentViennaExcellent
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.
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
02+−International delivery easeSalzburgMinor frictionViennaMinor 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.
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadSalzburg31.5Vienna31.5
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.
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
10
Language
01+−English proficiencySalzburgVery highViennaVery 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.
Salzburg
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.
Vienna
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.
11
Education
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countSalzburg1Viennastronger8
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Salzburg
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 27, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 27, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified: SALIS - Salzburg International School appears on the IB's own school page as a state school authorised for the Diploma Programme on 10 April 2020, IB school code 060778, teaching in English and German; it is the international stream of the Bundesgymnasium Zaunergasse in the city, which salis.or.at redirects to. ibo.org answers our requests with a Cloudflare challenge, so the page was read through its Internet Archive snapshot of 2025-09-11 and the canonical address is cited. Registries read on 2026-09-27: the CIS membership directory has no member in the city, COBIS's school-search data lists no school in Austria, and the only Accredited European School in Austria is in Tyrol.
- Notes
- FLOOR, city only. St Gilgen International School — CIS 'Accredited', with the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes flagged in its CIS record — is 24 km east of the Residenzplatz on the Wolfgangsee; counting it would make 2. Cambridge International's school finder renders only in a browser, so Cambridge-registered schools were not enumerated.
Vienna
Accreditor registries (IB World Schools, AEFE) — per-school verification
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 12, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 12, 2026
- Method
- Vienna-metro schools each confirmed against a qualifying accreditor: (1) Vienna International School — IB; (2) American International School Vienna — IB DP + US/MSA; (3) Danube International School Vienna — IB; (4) AMADEUS International School Vienna — IB + CIS; (5) International Christian School of Vienna — IB DP; (6) Gymnasium Klosterneuburg International School — IB; (7) International Highschool Herzogberg (Perchtoldsdorf) — IB; (8) Lycée Français de Vienne — AEFE-homologated. Aggregator sites were used only to find candidates.
- Notes
- Verified FLOOR of 8 (7 IB World Schools + 1 AEFE French school). KIS (Klosterneuburg) and Herzogberg (Perchtoldsdorf) sit just outside the city line but within the metro; strictly in-city the count is 6. Additional schools may hold qualifying accreditation but were not each individually verified this cycle.