City comparison
Vienna vs Stockholm: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Vienna is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €400 a month less than Stockholm, mostly because of rent. Vienna has the milder winter (about 5°C vs 2°C average highs in Dec to Feb). They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too: see below.
Choose Vienna for
- Mountains nearby
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- Walkability
- Lower living costs
Choose Stockholm for
- Beach life
- English-friendliness
- Nature & green space
- Family life
Vienna vs Stockholm at a glance
| Vienna | Stockholm | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Austria | Sweden |
| Single budget / month | €1,900 | €2,300 |
| Couple budget / month | €2,700 | €3,300 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,050 | €1,450 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 5°C / 42°F | 2°C / 35°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 26°C / 80°F | 22°C / 72°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,048 | 1,899 |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | No | Yes |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Vienna or Stockholm?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,900 a month for one person in Vienna and €2,300 in Stockholm, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,700 vs €3,300, and for a family of four €4,600 vs €5,500.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,050 in Vienna against €1,450 in Stockholm, while a monthly transit pass costs €39 vs €100. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 5°C (42°F) in Vienna and 2°C (35°F) in Stockholm. In summer it’s roughly 26°C vs 22°C. Vienna gets about 2,048 hours of sunshine a year and Stockholm about 1,899.
2,048 hours of sunshine a year · 669 mm of rain a year · Source: ZAMG/GeoSphere Austria 1991-2020 normals for Wien-Innere Stadt, as tabulated on Wikipedia 'Vienna'
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4°C / 40°F | -0°C / 32°F |
| Feb | 7°C / 45°F | 1°C / 34°F |
| Mar | 11°C / 52°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Apr | 17°C / 63°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| May | 21°C / 70°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Jun | 26°C / 78°F | 16°C / 62°F |
| Jul | 27°C / 80°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Aug | 27°C / 80°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Sep | 22°C / 71°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| Oct | 15°C / 59°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Nov | 10°C / 49°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| Dec | 5°C / 40°F | 1°C / 33°F |
1,899 hours of sunshine a year · 546 mm of rain a year · Source: SMHI 1991-2020 normals for Stockholm-Observatorielunden (temperature, precipitation) with sunshine from Weather Atlas, as tabulated on Wikipedia 'Stockholm'
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1°C / 34°F | -3°C / 27°F |
| Feb | 1°C / 34°F | -3°C / 26°F |
| Mar | 5°C / 40°F | -1°C / 30°F |
| Apr | 11°C / 51°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| May | 17°C / 62°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Jun | 21°C / 69°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Jul | 24°C / 74°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Aug | 22°C / 72°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Sep | 17°C / 62°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Oct | 10°C / 50°F | 6°C / 42°F |
| Nov | 5°C / 42°F | 2°C / 35°F |
| Dec | 3°C / 37°F | -1°C / 30°F |
Daily life
Vienna is a capital / metropolis; Stockholm is a capital / metropolis on the coast. Vienna is a big, safe, beautiful capital with an excellent public transport system and a cost of living well below the Nordic capitals. German matters here, and the legal route in for non-EU citizens is the points-based Red-White-Red Card. Budget about EUR 1,900 a month for a comfortable single life. Stockholm is Sweden's job and startup hub, and a very good city once you have a home and a personnummer. Getting a rental is the hard part, and winters are long and dark. Budget about EUR 2,300 a month for a single person living comfortably.
Living in Vienna: the upsides and downsides
- Public transport annual pass costs EUR 467
- Rich cultural scene and walkable centre
- Sunnier and warmer than Nordic capitals
- Downside: German needed for paperwork and everyday admin
- Downside: Red-White-Red Card is tied to an Austrian employer
Living in Stockholm: the upsides and downsides
- Large tech and startup scene
- Islands, lakes and forest within the metro area
- Safe, clean, excellent public transport
- Downside: Rental market is queue-based and very tight
- Downside: Long, dark winters
Visas and residency
Vienna is in Austria and Stockholm is in Sweden. The main routes for each:
- Austria Red-White-Red Card - Work permit, open, €3,465/mo income
- Sweden Self-Employed Permit - Freelance visa, open, €17,819 investment
- Sweden Work Permit (Employees) - Work permit, changing, €3,071/mo income
Read the full guides: living in Vienna and living in Stockholm.
Related comparisons
- Vienna vs Copenhagen
- Prague vs Vienna
- Copenhagen vs Stockholm
- Budapest vs Vienna
- Oslo vs Stockholm
- Oslo vs Vienna
- Munich vs Vienna
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.