The startup scene in Vienna was quite underrated, but nowadays the city is moving at a fast pace towards a really developed and great Startup Ecosystem. Vienna has so many things to offer, from multiculturality, health care, and environmental aspects to public connections, this city has heaps of different layers, which are just waiting for you to explore!
One of the most liveable cities
Vienna has been 10 times the most liveable city in the world, unfortunately, it’s not anymore. Well at a certain point you have to hand over the scepter… But still, the city is amazing and has a lot of advantages for you down the road!
These advantages can be seen on our city rank, there you can find all the cities over Europe and evaluate which city is the most suitable for your needs!
From the city rank, you can see the average value of the city’s cost of living or the quality of life, which can be seen in the metrics. In Vienna, the cost of living is above average, which means it’s a little more expensive, but at the same time the quality of living is above the average score. So you are getting more quality out of the living situation, even though it is slightly more expensive. Whereas the salary in Austria compensates for it after all, due to the fact that the average wage is around 52.000 gross a year and you receive a 14-month salary (yes, you heard it right – not a 12-month salary!).
To relate the ranking system to Vienna, you can see that the city has some really positive points to show. Such as safety, as Vienna is among the top 10 listed cities in Europe, well that’s an important point to consider when moving to a city. Also what makes a great work-life balance? One answer is when there is less commute time between work and home, that’s exactly what the city is offering since it is among the top 10. Another aspect of Vienna worth mentioning is pollution, that’s where the city can show off, since it is under the top 5, this is actually an important factor which should be considered for your health.
As you can see Vienna has a lot of advantages when it comes to the quality of life, no wonder it was ten times in a row the most liveable city in the world!
Also, Vienna has established quite a startup ecosystem over the years. As it has been already voted among the top ten destinations for European founders. Also, the community is quite big nowadays since there are a lot of startup events that are taking place on a regular basis. This way you can connect easily with lots of people and stay up to date within the startup scene.
When moving to Vienna, what’s the first thing you need to do? In order to make it easier for you, I have created a timeline where you can see the steps which need to be taken, from the beginning to the end.
Job search in Vienna
It’s never easy to find the dream job, which matches your interest and your values. If you are looking for a position in the startup ecosystem, you have to check out our startup job platform, wecanbeheroes.io, where we offer you 1000+ startup jobs all over Europe! Moreover, you can also browse through some of the really vibrant startups in Vienna, like Bitpanda or GoStudent!
If you struggle with parts of the application process, like grabbing the attention of the recruiter, creating a professional CV, or a catchy cover letter, no need to worry, we have lots of tipps prepared for you under our “Job Application” section on our media hub.
First things when moving to Vienna
When moving to a new city, or even a new country, can be very challenging in so many ways! Adjusting to the culture, and language or searching for new housing, or dealing with the authorities are just to name a few. To make it easier for you, we have all the important points of what has to be done when moving to Vienna.
Housing
Looking for an apartment can be tough as a foreigner, but I am sure you will get a hang of it. If you want to have it more smoothly, you can contact an agency. But that means you have to pay an extra fee for the agent. Also you can look for an apartment by yourself: for example, at wg-gesucht you can find one room apartments or the websites willhaben.at, and specific facebook groups can be a good platform to search for.
Registry Office
So when you have already moved into your apartment, the first thing you need to do is to register yourself at the registry office or as it is called here in Vienna, the “Magistrat”. There is in each district an office, where you can go to.
The next step would be to register yourself again at a different registry office, when you are from the European Economic Area or Switzerland. If you haven’t done it after three months, you have to expect a fine. So don’t wait too long, otherwise it can sum up!
Insurance
When being insured at a company, you will automatically be eligible to have an e-card. It’s your insurance card and you’ll need it when you have to go to the doctor, hospital or sometimes even at the pharmacy. But it’s your responsibility to take care of your insurance card, as you have to send in a passport picture of yourself, and just after that, you will receive it via post.
Transportation system
Embrace the transportation system within Vienna, it’s super easy and cheap to get around with the bus, tram, or subway. Believe it or not, it only costs you 1€ a day when you’re getting a Jahreskarte aka. year ticket. The transportation system is really well connected and brings you easily and fast to the other part of the city. Since Vienna is not super hilly I recommend you get yourself a bicycle! Cruise around the city, that’s the best way to get to know a place and you might be even faster compared to the transportation system.
What can you do in Vienna?
Vienna has so much to offer, from art and culture to sports and entertainment aspects. There are heaps of variety you can choose from! Either you stroll through the old town of Vienna, let yourself drift and look at the wonderful variety of museums, or you test the culinary diversity that Vienna has to offer. You can also relax within Vienna, in the many green areas like the vineyards where you have a beautiful view over the city. There is so much to discover and the city is waiting for you!
Museums of Vienna
If you have a little nerd inside of you, then Vienna is the right place! With its numerous museums, you have a wide range of art, history, and culture to explore. Let me give you a few examples:
Museumsquatier
This part of Vienna is directly located in the city center and provides you with lots of cultures, as in art, architecture, music, design, and fashion. This place gives you a little piece in the middle of the vibrant city, where you can chill, have a sip of coffee in a lovely cafe, and where you can soak up the art culture.
Nature and Art History Museum
The buildings of the natural and the art history museum look identical, with just one difference: the figures in front of the dome and the collections within the buildings. Both museums have a broad variety of interesting collections. The Natural History Museum has over 30 millions collection items, which belongs to one of the best in the world. The dinosaur collection to the meteorite collection will take your breath away. The Art History Museum with the world wide biggest Bruegel-collection is one of the most important art collections of the world. If you are into renaissance and baroque art, this is the place for you. You can spend days in each of the museums, getting lost, strolling around and soaking up all the information.
Albertina
Another great museum is Albertina, it has a wonderful collection of art from the last 130 years, from Monet to Picasso. From French Impressionism to German Expressionism to the Russian avant-garde to the present. When you are very much into art, this is the place to be.
Castle Schönbrunn
Have you ever wondered how the emperor of Austria lived? The castle Schönbrunn was the residence of Sissi, Franz Joseph, and Maria Theresia. Get to know the lifestyle and the history of the family, have a look in their private chambers and the big beautiful park, where you have a marvelous view over Vienna at the Gloriette.
Culture
On a cultural aspect, you can tell the city is full of it, as it has a really old history when it comes to coffee house tradition, classical music, and the old monarchies. When you are looking for some cultural hotspots, these are the places I can recommend:
Coffeehouse culture
Vienna has a long-lasting tradition with its coffee houses, it has actually become an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage. The coffee houses have their own flair, with people talking about god and the world, newspaper rustling, and the smell of freshly baked cakes and the wonderful smell of coffee. There are a couple of traditional coffee houses I could recommend, but for now, these are a must-do: Cafe Diglas, Cafe Central, Cafe Jelinek
Volkstheater/ Oper
When you think about Vienna, it’s impossible to not think of classical music, like that of Mozart or Beethoven. Therefore, there are some beautiful and admirable music houses in Vienna, like the Volkstheater and Volksoper. The theater and opera performances are worth the experience if you want to encounter the culture of Vienna up close.
Heurigen
Something really typical for the area of Vienna is Heurigen… you are probably wondering what it is. Well let me tell you, it’s the most wonderful way to enjoy local food and drinks. It is a sort of restaurant, you can find it mostly in the 19th district or directly in the vineyards on Kahlenberg, where you have the most wonderful view over Vienna while sipping on your wine and eating typical Austrian food.
Entertainment
If you love concerts, bars, and in general the nightlife, don’t look any further, Vienna has some really cool spots to check out. Since the city is full of students and international people there is always something going on.
Live Concerts
When you are looking for a cool location, to get a drink in combination with really nice live music, the bars: B72, Chelsea, and Rhiz are the places to go! Here you can find some really nice bands from Vienna, the music styles vary from pop, rock and experimental music. The location has its own flair since it is directly located at the Gürtel. When you are looking for a concert crawl, these are the places to look out for, it’s easy to listen to five different bands in one night when you check out these locations!
Electronic beats
Lovers of electric sounds will find plenty of opportunities here in Vienna to dance through the night. There is no way around the Grelle Forelle, it is well known by the local Viennese and it’s the place to go to. Another hotspot is das Werk, it’s right next to Grelle Forelle and both locations have their own vibe. Definitely, a go-to place when you want to dance it out to electronic beats.
Nature
The surroundings of the city are incredibly green, from Kahlenberg and its vineyards to the Viennese forest, the Danube island, or Prater park, which is by the way double the size of the central park of New York City! In all these areas you can practice sports with ease. And not far away from the city are wonderful hiking spots as well, for example at Schneeberg or in winter you can go to Semmering skiing which is around 1 hour away from Vienna. Can you tell that everything your heart desires is directly around the corner?
Summary
Vienna is an amazing city, which is just waiting for you to explore! It has everything your heart desires, and many more! When you are proactive and open to something new, it shouldn’t be a problem to adapt quickly to the Viennese lifestyle. Imagine sitting in a late summer breeze in a Heurigen at Kahlenberg between the vineyards with an amazing view over the city, having a sip of locally made wine. That’s just one amazing experience that is coming along the way. So what are you waiting for? Move to Vienna and see for yourself what the city has to offer!
Need help finding a job in Vienna? Check out the last startup jobs in Vienna today!
