In this article, we will present the best places to retire in Austria, in a country with beautiful landscapes, mild climate, and beautiful mountains, which offers fun for all seasons.
A clean environment, rich cultural heritage, and hospitality of the people are some of the factors which show that Austria has a lot to offer. There are plenty of things that have helped Austria clinch first place in the European Union in terms of living standards.
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The fact that Austria is not on the list of 10 cheapest places to retire abroad, should not affect your choice to spend golden years here. Besides its rich culture, historical monuments, captivating nature, Austria as well offers countless benefits to its residents that include affordable and high-quality health care, safe life and different types of entertainment for all ages.
To determine the best places to retire in Austria, first, we have taken most recommended cities from TripAdvisor, Tourpia and similar portals. Our final list of the those top retiring places in Austria, we have made on the basis of five factors: cost of living, the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment, apartment prices per square meter, climate, height of the index of health care (includes assessment of the overall quality of the health care system, quality of the health care workers, equipment, personnel, quality of the doctors, prices, etc., expressed in the value of 0-100, which means when index value is greater, the service is better). The data for these factors, which relate to the amount of the costs and height of the index of healthcare, we have taken from Numbeo, while data for climate conditions have taken from Weather Online and BBC Weather.
To these factors, we’ve allocated points from 1 to 10. The places with the highest costs and low healthcare index got the minimum points, while the places with the high index of medical care and more affordable costs of living got the most points. When scoring climatic conditions, we took the average amount of annual rainfall, and places with least rain got more points, naturally.
Without further ado, we bring you the top 10 best places to retire in Austria.
10. Vienna
Vienna, which presents the center of the waltz, art, culture, and so-called “Vienna School”, is also the capital of Austria with about 1.71 million inhabitants. City Center, also known as the “Inner City”, was included on the World Heritage List, mainly due to a number of architectural monuments, baroque palaces and parks, as well as the monumental palace on the Ringstrasse. In addition to cultural and historical sights, Vienna offers a variety of entertainment activities for all ages. For the cost of living, it is necessary to allocate $3,880 and for renting a one-bedroom apartment is required to around $870. Apartment price per square meter is of $6,090. Vienna has a continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters, with an average temperature of 58ºF, and 24 inches of rainfall per year. Healthcare is at a high level, and the index of health care is 78.6 /100 points.
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9. Salzburg
Due to the unique combination of alpine peaks and rich architecture, Salzburg, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, which easily explains why it is also known as the “German Rome”. It is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, so it is no surprise that the musical life of Salzburg is extremely rich. Every year Salzburg hosts over 4000 cultural events; “Salzburg Festival” is considered as one of the most important in the world. For the cost of living in this city, it is necessary to allocate around $4,040. Apartment price, per square meter, is of $3,420, and renting a one-bedroom apartment rquires $780. The index of health care is 97.22/100. Salzburg has a continental climate with an average temperature of almost 58ºF, with 46 inches of annual rainfall.
8. Villach
Villach’s appearance and way of life are very different from the typical Austrian cities.Thanks to the fact that it is located in the south of the country, near the borders with Italy and Slovenia, the lifestyle of the local population is more relaxed. This is also because of its favorable climate, with more sun, where the average temperature is around 73ºF, with 31 inches of annual precipitation. For the average cost of living, it is necessary to allocate about $2,850. The rental price for the one-bedroom apartment is around $750 and the apartment price, per square meter, is of $3,080. The index of healthcare is 55.56/100.
7. Innsbruck
Despite the fact that, Innsbruck and alpine sports are closely linked, this ancient city in the region of Tyrol, Western Austria, offers more than snow sports. The city is named after the beautiful and powerful river Inn, which flows through the city. Various monuments of Innsbruck testify to its rich history, which is known internationally. Also, the city offers a variety of entertainment activities in one of the many restaurants and bars. For the cost of living in this city, it is necessary to allocate approximately $3,390. House price per square meter is of $3,970, and cost for renting a one-bedroom apartment is of $710. The index of healthcare is 75.93/ 100. The climate is snowy -forest, with an average temperature of 59ºF and almost 33 inches of rain per year. The winters are very cold and snowy, and summers are mild.
6. Linz
Linz is the third largest city in Austria and represents the economic and cultural center of the province of Upper Austria, known for its old town and the Austrian heavy industry. An interesting fact is that the city is the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, who started the great industrialization of the city, just before the beginning and during the World War II. For the cost of living in this city, it is necessary to allocate approximately $2,830. Apartment price per square meter is around $2,740, while the price for renting a one-bedroom apartment is of $680. The index of healthcare is 57.30/100. The climate is continental, with an average temperature of 57°F and almost 33 inches of annual precipitation.
5. Dornbirn
Dornbirn is located in Vorarlberguna on the same river, and it is located 10 km from Bregenz, in the valley of the Rhine. The climate is continental, where the average temperature is 64°F, with 39 inches of annual rainfall. For the average cost of living, it is necessary to allocate around $2,080, for renting a one-bedroom apartment it is necessary to pay around $690, and flat price per square meter is of $4,330. The index of healthcare is 62,10/100.
4. Bregenz
For the cost of living in this city it is necessary to allocate approximately $2,790 and renting a one-bedroom apartment requires $690. Apartment price, per square meter is of $2,770. The climate in Bregenz is temperate, with warm summers and cold winters, and an average temperature of 64°F, with around 46 inches of rainfall per year. Index of healthcare is 57.30/100 points.
3. Klagenfurt
Third place on the list belongs to the city in the south of Austria, located in the valley between the Alps and the Karavanke, which carefully nurtured for centuries all that history has left in legacy. For the origin of this city, legends were talked, and you can be sure that layout of its streets and buildings will take you back in the time of the monarchy. The official name of the city is Klagenfurt am Wörthersee because it extends to the famous Lake Wörthersee, and through history, he was repeatedly moved and rebuild, primarily due to flooding and fire, which they contributed to its present appearance and position. The town offers excellent conditions for retirement – the relatively low cost of living, for which is necessary to allocate an average $2,960. The rental price for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is around $580, while for the purchase of the apartment you need to pay approximately $3,410 per square meter. The level of medical care is high, according to the Index of medical care of 77.78/100. The climate is moderate continental with an average temperature of 6°F and with 39 inches of rainfall per year.r.
2. Graz
The city with about 250,000 inhabitants, is located in front of the Alpine area, on the northern edge of Gradec fields. With its rich history offers ideal conditions for life. The rich landscape, cultural heritage, fun nightlife, are just some advantages of this city that offering to his residents. And for a relaxed and peaceful life here, you need a around $2,710for the cost of living. The cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city is $600, but if you want to buy an apartment, you need to pay $4,230 square meter. We also need to mention the extremely high-quality hospital system, which, according to the Index of medical care is highly ranked, with 87.25 /100 points. The average annual temperature for is 15°F with around 14 inches of annual rainfall.
1. Bruck an der Mur
First place on the list of 10 best places to retire in Austria belongs to a small town in central Austria, and his size is complemented by a rich history, attractions, beautiful landscapes and a peaceful way of life of the local population. From historical monuments to many restaurants and pubs, this city offers idyllic life for people in retirement. This is as well expressed through lower cost of living, which amount to $2,820 per month. The price of renting a one-bedroom apartment is $290, but if you want to buy an apartment you need to allocate around $1,150 per square meter. The level of health services is satisfactory and the index of medical care amounts to 67.66 /100. The climate is continental, with an average temperature of 61 °F and almost 33 inches of annual precipitation.
