Austria, Vienna

Country Full Name: Republic of Austria.

Location: Austria is in Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia.

Country Climate: Temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers.

Country Terrain: In the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping.

Major Languages: German.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 1.9 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Austria is one of the 12 richest countries in the world in terms of GDP, has a well-developed social market economy, and a high standard of living. Until the 1980s, many of Austria's largest industry firms were nationalised; in recent years, however, privatisation has reduced state holdings to a level comparable to other European economies. Labour movements are particularly strong in Austria and have large influence on labour politics. Next to a highly-developed industry, international tourism is the most important part of the national economy.

Currency: Euro (EUR). Make an international currency transfer to Austria.

Inflation: 3.5% (2011 est.).

Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre.

Vienna, is home to key international organisations, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Opec, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The cost of living in Vienna in Austria is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Vienna in Austria is currently ranked 56 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 270 places that are more expensive, and 509 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 49 places that are more expensive, and 730 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 93 places that are more expensive, and 686 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 555 places that are more expensive, and 224 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 323 places that are more expensive, and 456 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 72 places that are more expensive, and 707 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 166 places that are more expensive, and 613 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 235 places that are more expensive, and 544 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 53 places that are more expensive, and 726 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 102 places that are more expensive, and 677 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 78 places that are more expensive, and 701 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 137 places that are more expensive, and 642 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 8 places that are more expensive, and 771 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Vienna in Austria are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Vienna in Austria is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Vienna in Austria are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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