5 benefits of living in Vienna | world’s most liveable city
5 min readFeb 18, 2021
Have you ever imagined how it’s like to live in the world’s most liveable city? We’re not talking about New York City or London! We are talking about Vienna! Birthplace of classical music & the Wiener Schnitzel!
Vienna was named the world's most livable city in the last two years! Does Vienna deserve this rank? Let’s find out!
- Nature and City life
We haven’t seen many cities that allow you to enjoy the busy city life but also have the opportunity to escape it by taking the metro and driving less than 10 minutes. Vienna can be a jam-packed city during rush hours and has a very iconic historical city center, which is admired by thousands of tourists all year long but it’s much more than that. Vienna is surrounded by picturerous mountains, which are great for hiking with amazing views of the city. Not to forget the vineyards of Vienna — yes you read correctly vineyards. Vienna has its own vineyards, which is a hotspot during the summer months. If that's not green enough for you, then you wanna check out Vienna's many parks within the city or in the suburbs. There are plenty and every single one of them is unique in its own way. They are also very well maintained by the city.
If you need some drinks and snacks after enjoying your time in the greens, the city center will welcome you with open arms. For people who love city vibes and nightlife, Vienna offers a good selection of bars and nightclubs. Which are temporarily closed now of course due to the current pandemic.
You should also know, that there is a different theme in the city every season. So If you love Christmas vibes, you cannot miss the grand Christmas market in front of Vienna's city hall. It's absolutely beautiful.
In Summer the focus is laid on culture. For that, the city organizes a big Film Festival which offers a great atmosphere with amazing food and drinks from all over the world.
Vienna is a city that can cater to people who love living in the city but also want to enjoy nature during their free time to clear their heads and get some fresh air. - Public Transportation
This one is actually one of our favorite topics even though we’re passionate car drivers. Viennas public transportation is one of the world's best and also very affordable. The metro system connects the different residential areas with the city center perfectly. And if there is no metro close by, there is always a tram or a bus around the corner, which will bring you to your destination. Yes, it is actually great. However, the best part is not the great connection it offers: It's the price! For 365€ a year, feel free to use all metros, buses, trams, and trains within the city of Vienna unlimitedly! We’re talking here about 5390 stations in Vienna alone!
During the week public transport serves you from 5 am until midnight — depending on the station. On weekends all metros lines and certain bus lines run 24hrs. - Real Estate market
Even though the market has been increasing in Vienna in the past decade, you can still rent or buy affordable places in Vienna. The reason, therefore, is our government. The Austrian government is the biggest landlord in the country. Unlike other cities, Vienna does not leave rents and land prices solely to the free market. Year after year, the City Administration invests the amount of roughly Euro 500 million in housing construction. This has a price-dampening effect on the housing market and makes living in Vienna still affordable. Approximately 1 out of 4 Viennese live in one of the social housing complexes.
When considering buying an apartment in Vienna, you would probably be spending approx. € 4500- 7000 per square meter depending on the location and conditions of the apartment. However, if you see yourself living a posh life in the historic center of Vienna living close to the main museums and enjoying the views of the beautiful cathedrals then you may have to pay around € 14000 per square meter.
If these numbers make you feel dizzy, let's jump to number 4 on our list. - Medical Service & Social Security
It might sound unbelievable but it's true. All medical Services in Vienna or even in all of Austria are free of charge! So if you get hit by a car or if you are pregnant then you don’t have to think about the huge medical bills. Every person living in Austria legally owns a medical card, which enables them to use the public medical services all for free. These amenities are mainly financed by taxpayers. So here's a quick shout-out to all the taxpayers that make this possible — including us of course. 😊
And then there is the social security system. Let's say you lose your job, because of the current economic downturn, then you don’t have to worry about not being able to pay your bills until you find another job.
If you have worked for at least 6 months in the same company, then you are eligible of receiving the unemployment benefits for the next 5 months which are max. 80% of your last income.
Let's not forget about an important chapter of your life: Expanding your family is always a blessing, but it’s much more enjoyable if you don’t have to think about financial struggle during this time.
The Austrian government offers you 3 maternity leave plans to choose from. One of them is the income-based plan, which pays you up to 80% of your last income for a duration of 12 months. After 12 months you can return to your previous job full-time or part-time and even enjoy the benefits of paternal leave, during which you are protected against dismissal until your child turns 4. - Child care
Which brings us to our final number five — Child care or Kindergarten how we call it here in Austria.
Vienna offers a big selection of public child care facilities which are almost completely free of charge. You only pay a small fee of EUR 70 per month for breakfast and/or lunch for your kid. As it is almost free of charge, you can imagine the child care facilities in Vienna are very popular and it's always an organizational masterpiece how they manage to grant your kid a Kindergarten spot close to your home address.
Our suggestion would be to apply for a spot close to your place as soon as possible. In big residential areas, you may have to apply even before your child is born.
- let us know in the comments below how child care is managed in your country and if you would love a similar service in your hometown.
So in your opinion, does Vienna really deserve the rank of being the most livable city in the world? Would you consider moving to Vienna after reading this post? Comment below and let us know.
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