Vienna (Austria) vs Warsaw (Poland)

Vienna (Austria) vs Warsaw (Poland): rent, cost of living, climate, safety and country-level context (taxes, visas) side by side — every figure with its source.

Verified Jul 12, 2026

Vienna (Austria)Warsaw (Poland)

Scoreboard

The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.

Warsaw leads on 5 of 8

	Vienna	Warsaw
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)	$1,973/mo i Statistik Austria — Konsumerhebung 2024/25 (all-households per-capita consumption, COICOP), CPI-uplifted 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).	★$753/mo i 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).
Rent: 1-bedroom (city avg)	$1,433/mo i Curated from Vienna asking-rent indices (metrox.io Mietspiegel Wien, willhaben) + Statistik Austria size gradient Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Apr 30, 2026 Verified Jul 12, 2026 Method Central-district (1–9) gross asking rent (Bruttomiete incl. Betriebskosten) 22.49 EUR/m² × 1BR size premium 1.118 × ~50 m² ≈ €1,257/mo → $1,433 at 1.1399 USD/EUR. Asking-rent basis (new free-market lease); city-wide 1BR average is ~$1,354. Notes Free-market asking rent for a new lease. Vienna's AVERAGE paid rent is far lower — Statistik Austria Mikrozensus ~9.8 EUR/m² gross, Gemeindebau ~5.1 EUR/m² net — because ~40–48% of households are in regulated municipal or cooperative housing a newcomer cannot access.	★$1,036/mo i Otodom Analytics via Bankier.pl rental report, June 2026 Curated by SettleMetric Data as of May 31, 2026 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method Average asking rent, 40–59 m² units (≈1-bedroom class), Warsaw city-wide, May 2026: 3,897 PLN ≈ $1,036 at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Studios (≤40 m²): 2,957 PLN. Notes City-wide average — central districts run higher; treat as a slight underestimate for 'central'.
Freelancer tax burden	29.4% i 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%.	★23.6% i 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.
Homicide rate	0.85/100k i 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.	★0.69/100k i 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.
Internet speed	32 Mbps i 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.	★42 Mbps i 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.
English proficiency	Very high i 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.	Very high i 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.
Private healthcare cost	★$1,368/yr i Curated from Austrian insurer/broker Sonderklasse tariffs (UNIQA, Merkur, Wiener Städtische) — quoted on request 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.	$1,600/yr i LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request 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).
Air quality (PM2.5)	★10 µg/m³ i 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.	15 µg/m³ i EEA European city air quality viewer Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2023 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual means at Warsaw background stations (Wokalna 13, Kondratowicza 14 µg/m³). Notes About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Winter heating is the main source; summers are much cleaner.

Verdict

Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.

Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.

Warsaw fits better — 3 of 5

	Vienna	Warsaw
Freelancer tax burden	29.4% i 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%.	★23.6% i 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.
Internet speed	32 Mbps i 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.	★42 Mbps i 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.
English proficiency	Very high i 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.	Very high i 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.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)	$1,973/mo i Statistik Austria — Konsumerhebung 2024/25 (all-households per-capita consumption, COICOP), CPI-uplifted 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).	★$753/mo i 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).
Domestic delivery quality	Excellent i 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.	Excellent i 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.

Relocating with a partner and school-age children.

A close call for this plan

	Vienna	Warsaw
International schools	8 i 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.	★17 i IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 3, 2026 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method Union of IB finder results for country=PL with 'Warsaw'/'Warszawa' keywords, deduplicated. Notes ±2 uncertainty: the finder may include candidate schools; CIS/COBIS-only schools not yet counted.
Homicide rate	0.85/100k i 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.	★0.69/100k i 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.
Private healthcare cost	★$1,368/yr i Curated from Austrian insurer/broker Sonderklasse tariffs (UNIQA, Merkur, Wiener Städtische) — quoted on request 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.	$1,600/yr i LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request 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).
Air quality (PM2.5)	★10 µg/m³ i 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.	15 µg/m³ i EEA European city air quality viewer Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2023 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual means at Warsaw background stations (Wokalna 13, Kondratowicza 14 µg/m³). Notes About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Winter heating is the main source; summers are much cleaner.
English proficiency	Very high i 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.	Very high i 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.

Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.

Warsaw fits better — 1 of 3

	Vienna	Warsaw
Crypto regulation	Legal regulated i 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'.	Legal regulated i 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.
Financial control level	Low i 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.	Low i 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.
Freelancer tax burden	29.4% i 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%.	★23.6% i 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.

Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.

A close call for this plan

	Vienna	Warsaw
Homicide rate	0.85/100k i 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.	★0.69/100k i 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.
Air quality (PM2.5)	★10 µg/m³ i 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.	15 µg/m³ i EEA European city air quality viewer Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2023 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual means at Warsaw background stations (Wokalna 13, Kondratowicza 14 µg/m³). Notes About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Winter heating is the main source; summers are much cleaner.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)	$1,973/mo i Statistik Austria — Konsumerhebung 2024/25 (all-households per-capita consumption, COICOP), CPI-uplifted 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).	★$753/mo i 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).
Climate comfort	★6/12 mo i 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).	5/12 mo i SettleMetric computation over climate-normals Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Dec 31, 2020 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 5 (April misses at 14.5°C).

Details

Taxes

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile29.45.123.66.3

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.

Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days

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%.

Warsaw

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

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Remote-work legalization easeLong stay path6.0Long stay path6.0

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.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

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'.

Warsaw

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

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rent1,9734.47538.7

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.

Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days

Vienna

Statistik Austria — Konsumerhebung 2024/25 (all-households per-capita consumption, COICOP), CPI-uplifted

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).

Warsaw

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)

Category	Vienna i 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).	Warsaw i 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.
Transport	$315	$59
Food & non-alcoholic beverages	$268	—
Recreation, sport & culture	$264	—
Food & non-alcoholic drinks	—	$205
Health (out-of-pocket)	$110	$55
Restaurants & hotels	$153	—
Utilities (electricity, gas, water)	—	$147
Furnishings & household equipment	$142	—
Clothing & footwear	$96	$26
Insurance & financial services	$109	—
Other goods & services (incl. personal care)	$105	—
Housing energy (electricity, gas, fuels)	$97	—
Housing maintenance & repair	$95	—
Housing operating costs (water, waste, common charges)	$78	—
Other (alcohol, tobacco, misc.)	—	$77
Information & communication	$64	—
Restaurants & eating out	—	$59
Recreation & culture	—	$55
Alcoholic beverages & tobacco	$51	—
Household goods	—	$38
Communications	—	$32
Education	$24	—
Total (excl. rent)	$1,971/mo	$753/mo

Housing

Rent by apartment type

Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).

Apartment	Vienna i Curated from Vienna asking-rent indices (metrox.io Mietspiegel Wien, willhaben) + Statistik Austria Mikrozensus size gradient Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Apr 30, 2026 Verified Jul 12, 2026 Method Gross asking rents (Bruttomiete incl. Betriebskosten): central = mean of districts 1–9 (22.49 EUR/m²), outside = mean of districts 10–23 (20.19 EUR/m²). Size premium from Statistik Austria Q1-2025 rent-by-size classes normalized to the 2BR class: studio ×1.398, 1BR ×1.118, 2BR ×1.000, 3BR ×0.98. EUR/m² × unit size (studio 35, 1BR 50, 2BR 70, 3BR 95 m²) × 1.1399 USD/EUR. Notes ASKING-rent basis (new free-market lease), the right basis for a mover. Vienna's average PAID rents are far lower due to the very large regulated municipal/cooperative sector. Per-cell figures carry ~±10–15% modeling uncertainty; the central/outer split and size gradient are transparent derivations, not a single official table.	Warsaw i ZnajdzNajem Warsaw report (by room + district), Otodom Analytics cross-check Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 3, 2026 Verified Jul 3, 2026 Method City-wide asking rent by room count (ZnajdzNajem, 2026-07-03: studio 2,634, 1-2rm 3,696, 3rm 5,224, 4rm 7,008 PLN) split into central vs outside using ZnajdzNajem district multipliers (central Śródmieście ×1.305; outside outer districts ×0.782), converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Cross-checked against Otodom Analytics by-size brackets (May 2026). Notes Central/outside cells are DERIVED (city room-average × district multiplier) — no source publishes rent by room count and by center/outside at once. City-wide-by-room and district averages are directly observed. Central = Śródmieście core; outside = outer districts (Rembertów, Praga-Płd, etc.).
Studio	$1,254 ($1,126)	$914 ($547)
1-bedroom	$1,433 ($1,287)	$1,281 ($768)
2-bedroom	$1,795 ($1,611)	$1,812 ($1,087)
3-bedroom	$2,387 ($2,143)	$2,429 ($1,456)

Safety

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/year0.99.30.79.6

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).

Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days

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.

Warsaw

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.

Climate

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Climate comfortpleasant months/year66.055.0

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.

Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days

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).

Warsaw

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 5 (April misses at 14.5°C).

Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5108.0156.0

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.

Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days

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.

Warsaw

EEA European city air quality viewer

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual means at Warsaw background stations (Wokalna 13, Kondratowicza 14 µg/m³).
Notes: About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Winter heating is the main source; summers are much cleaner.

Healthcare

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old1,3687.61,6007.0

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.

Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days

Vienna

Curated from Austrian insurer/broker Sonderklasse tariffs (UNIQA, Merkur, Wiener Städtische) — quoted on request

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.

Warsaw

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

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

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Crypto regulationLegal regulated8.0Legal regulated8.0

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.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

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'.

Warsaw

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.

Financial control levelLow10.0Low10.0

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.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

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.

Warsaw

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

CriterionViennaWarsaw

Domestic delivery qualityExcellent10.0Excellent10.0

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.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

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.

Warsaw

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.

International delivery easeMinor friction7.0Minor friction7.0

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.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Vienna

European Commission — removal of the €150 duty exemption / temporary flat fee on low-value imports (EU-wide, from 1 July 2026)

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.

Warsaw

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.

Internet speedMbps, median fixed download31.52.741.74.0

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.

Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days

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.

Warsaw

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

CriterionViennaWarsaw

English proficiencyVery high9.0Very high9.0

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.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

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.

Warsaw

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.

Education

CriterionViennaWarsaw

International schoolsaccredited international schools, count86.9178.8

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).

Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days

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.

Warsaw

IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Union of IB finder results for country=PL with 'Warsaw'/'Warszawa' keywords, deduplicated.
Notes: ±2 uncertainty: the finder may include candidate schools; CIS/COBIS-only schools not yet counted.