Expat Advice: Moving to Vienna, Austria
What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?
Vienna
Name three things that you wish you had brought and three you wish you had left at home.
Car is of no use really in Vienna, as public transport is very ggod
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What advice would you give someone preparing to move to your area about the actual move, choosing a neighborhood and finding a home?
Vienna is not such a friendly place if you come from America - very "provincial and suspicious nature abounds here. If you are staying a long time...+5 years consider to try and integrate, if less than 5 years then move to 18th or 19th districts, expats slums. In the 18th & 19th you have lots of Eng speaking temp families with which you have things in common.
What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?
apartment, yes most are in Apartments
How did you choose your neighborhood and find your home or apartment?
agent locally
Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?
higher
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Comments about this Report
guestI am an American of Polish origin who has been living in Vienna for the last 5 years. I think it is cheaper to find an apartment on sites such as jobwohnen.at or other websites, because looking through an agent always means a hefty provision. Not knowing German is not really a problem since most people know at least a smattering of English. The Viennese are insular that's true but when you make a friend here, it tends to last, while in USA you may make many apparent friends that are really not friends, it is much less superficial here. In any case, when you do not try to learn the language, you would always be percieved as an outsider, so try to learn German!
guestI agree with the guest poster. Vienna is actually an incredibly friendly place when you have bothered to learn German. Also, I agree, friends last forever here. In the US, friends tends to be ephemeral if not superficial. Think about the reversal. How friendly do you think someone who speaks no English would perceive Americans in the US? Also, private renting is far cheaper than through a Makler (who inflates rents to get a better finder's fee, and is always on the side of the renter).
