Within our many Facebook Groups an often asked question by someone planning a move to a new country is “I am moving to Austria but not exactly sure where to move to, can anyone offer advice?” Inevitably what then follows are numerous replies where Expats recommend the exact spot in which they live which is not surprising really but does not help the person who is open to moving to somewhere in a new country.
Bloggers may write about the TOP 10 PLACES TO LIVE IN Austria or BEST 5 CITIES for Expats but they do not really know as what Expat life is really like can only be written by Expats and no one else, the perspective that Expats have living in a new land is entirely different to that of someone who is on a gap year and tours multiple cities in a short space of time.
The solution we have come up with is simple, within our Facebook Groups (Link) we are inviting members who are writing in the groups to create a short contribution to Expat life in their region in order to give those that are trying to find an answer to the original question a much more in depth and meaningful article to read versus a re packaged top 5 places in Austria to live or best 10 beach resorts in Austria etc.
If you are an Expat in Austria, you are invited to share your experiences via the submission form in the main menu under the ARTICLES tab.
This article will continue to expand over time and so is worth bookmarking and returning to, we hope you find it helpful and helps you in your relocation to Austria.
Vienna
I have travelled extensively throughout the European Union and also Ukraine. Currently, I think my most favorite cities are Vienna, Austria (where I live now), Milan, Italy (where I may be moving to very shortly), and also Kyiv, Ukraine (where there is a war now, but I was there in 2017 and 2018).
Vienna is a wonderful city, and it probably deserves its high rating as one of the best places to live in the world based on a number of factors:
1. Relatively low cost of housing.
2. Excellent and relatively inexpensive public transportation system, although it can get quite congested at time, and it will probably get worse as the population grows.
3. Multi-ethnic and multi-cultural communities, mostly in large cities like Vienna.
4. Excellent educational system.
5. Excellent access to performing arts and fine arts.
6. Decent healthcare system with access at a relatively low cost.
There are some downsides though. One really needs to know German to integrate effectively, particularly if one intends to run a business. I personally have been the victim of several thefts (iPhone, MacBook, etc.), but I may have been careless, and that type of thing occurs in any large city.
I am a dual US – Italian citizen, and after living in Vienna for almost 2 years now, I am about to move to Milan, Italy, a city that I have visited maybe five times now. It isn’t so much that I have become disappointed with Vienna, but more because as a citizen of Italy I will have some additional benefits (e.g. healthcare), and Italy has a 7% tax rate incentive for ‘pensioners’ in some parts of the country (mostly in the south). Also, I will become fluent in Italian much more quickly than has been my progress with German.
I was also just recently to Kyiv (March 2024) for a short return visit. Despite the fact that there is a way there, the city is still beautiful, at least from my perspective, and I do like the Ukrainian people. I bumped into at least a handful of US citizens during my short stay. That was bit surprising really. But, for the adventurous, depending upon what happens with the war, Kyiv might be an interesting and rewarding place to live and work, particularly if the war ends and there are reconstruction projects. The cost of living there currently is quite inexpensive, and the public transportation system is still largely intact.
I am not yet a social media ‘influencer’, but I have started to populate my Instagram and YouTube account with some of my better photos, videos and stories.
Author
Name: Stephen Douglas Scotti
Role: “Expat”
Location: Vienna Austria