r/viennaExpats

This summer I spent some time in Vienna with my family and didn’t expect to fall so hard for the city. I’m now seriously considering moving there for a Masters after I finish my Bachelor’s next year. I’m from the UAE, so the lifestyle, culture , climate and of course the overall way of life are very different. I know being a tourist is like a honeymoon phase so I’m trying to get a more realistic picture before I commit. If you live or have lived in Vienna, Austria, I’m really curious to now..

What’s daily life actually like as a young person or student?

Cost of living (especially rent, food, transport) for someone on a student budget.

How hard is it to find housing in Vienna?

Do most people speak English or is German pretty essential for daily life and university?

What’s the student experience like (social life, making friends as an international student, part time work opportunities)?

Bureaucracy, visas, and settling in as a non-EU citizen?

The biggest culture shocks or things that surprised you (positively or negatively) compared to what you expected?

Thank you in advance💖

Hey everyone!

I’m looking for the best neighborhood or street in Vienna for vintage, thrift, and second-hand shopping (clothing, curated vintage, or cool thrift spots).

Are there specific districts you’d recommend exploring or any hidden gem shops I shouldn't miss?

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I recently moved to Vienna. I broke up with my boyfriend about 8 months ago after a very long relationship. I'm trying to figure out the kind of life I want. Also, I really like talking and doing activities with people, I am very active at the moment, enjoy bouldering, hiking, going to parties, workshops, DIYs, wildlife, chatting, etc. I'm going frequently to meetups and try to engage people and build relationships. For some reason, I tend to meet more men than women friends. I'm open for a potential relationship if stars align but it's not something I am actively looking for. However, even if I meet people that really want to do things and find friends, and I propose plans to them, they don't engage the same way that I do. Also, quite difficult to have men friends that are not looking right away for something else and lose interest quite fast if that's not the case... I got a little bit depressed today because I feel everytime I might meet someone interesting, things start really fast and also dissappear quite fast as well. I don't really know what's happening, if people don't want to compromise much for friendships or they are not patient enough or what...

Why does Austria and Vienna in particular have this reputation as some developed, rich, sophisticated Western European country when so much of everyday life feels weirdly backwards?The longer I live here, the more confused I am by the gap between the international image and the reality.

Smoking is still absolutely everywhere, to a degree I’d expect in the Balkans rather than one of the richest countries in Europe. People smoke at terraces, entrances, public transport stops, around children, and somehow this is treated as completely normal.

The driving culture is awful. Aggressive drivers, people accelerating toward crossings, endless impatience, terrible interactions with cyclists, and an astonishing amount of public space still sacrificed to parked cars. Vienna loves boasting about public transport, but at street level parts of the city still feel like they were designed by someone in 1974 who had just discovered the automobile.

Digitalisation is another one. Austria somehow manages to combine high taxes and a huge bureaucracy with processes that often feel 20 years behind what you’d expect from a wealthy country. Paper forms, letters, appointments, weirdly fragmented systems, businesses that still love cash, and generally this attitude that technological progress is something that happens somewhere else.
Then there’s retail and services. Opening hours often feel like the economy is doing you a personal favour by allowing you to buy things. Customer service can range from indifferent to openly hostile, and somehow you’re expected to interpret this as charming Austrian directness.

And culturally, Vienna’s reputation is especially bizarre to me. Yes, Mozart, Klimt, opera, museums, beautiful imperial buildings, I get it. But that mostly feels like living off cultural capital accumulated 100–200 years ago. When it comes to contemporary culture, international tours, niche events, exhibitions, comedy, bands, conventions etc., Vienna seems to get skipped surprisingly often. You’ll see Munich Prague Budapest and somehow Vienna just disappears from the map.

Even the general social atmosphere can feel surprisingly provincial for a city of two million people. There’s a strong sense of “we’ve always done it this way, why would we change it?”, whether the subject is bureaucracy, opening hours, cycling infrastructure, smoking, digital services or basically anything else.
And before someone says “but Vienna has great public transport / healthcare / social housing / low crime” - have you lived anywhere else or are you just going off statistics or repeating what everyone else is saying?

Hello im starting master at TU wien for next summer semester 2027 and im lookin for accomodation,i applied omyo oead and other providers and am waiting..

However i want some tips or if theres someone who wants to rent an appartment and lookin for a roomate im down for it ,1year contract ideally

My budget is 400-500

Hi! I am 25 years old from India and currently doing my masters in Uni wien. I am looking for open minded people so we can have fun altogether. And by fun I mean playing cards by Donau, swimming, travelling and partying on the weekends.

I have been living in Vienna for over 8 months now. I am not white, not very proficient in speaking german. I am studying finance from uni Wien. I am still not able to familiarise myself with this city. I want to indulge with people, know about their culture and their beliefs but I think people are very reserved in this country or they treat me differently. When there is an empty seat next to me, they won't sit they prefer to stand instead. I don't know whether I can cope up with this.

Hello I'm looking for a room in vienna from October to December but has been very hard to find anything under 550(my maximum budget) for short stays.

I have tried the common pages but have not been lucky any advice or information is welcome

Thank you.

Hey everyone, I’m travelling to Vienna this weekend with my 16 yr old nephew. This is his first time in Europe and I’m hoping to show him around the city and take him to have his first legal beer at a beer garden, bike to parks, etc. Any suggestions for cool events happening this weekend that the youngin’s might be interested in? Neighbourhoods you love that might be great for thrift shopping and record stores etc? He loves music / live music.

Thanks so much!

Long story, but my wife and I are in town for a cruise tour in Schwedenplatz area and need to find a peaceful place to hang out for a couple hours. Wife has a chronic condition that is flaring up so we need something where we can just hang out/sitting down as she doesn't have the ability to do the walking tours. Just need to kill some time until our shuttle takes us back. We are on foot so has to be in that immediate area. Any advice appreciated

Hi everyone!

I’m moving to Vienna later this year to spend about a year working as a researcher at the Vienna BioCenter. It’ll be my first time in Austria (and my first time living in Vienna), so I’m trying to prepare beyond the usual tourist stuff.

I’d love to hear from people who live in Vienna or have spent a significant amount of time there: What are the things you wish you had known before moving to Vienna?

In particular, I’d really appreciate advice on:

1. Where do people actually meet others, especially if you’re new to the city? Are there any? Any good clubs, groups, events, sports, or communities?

2. What do you recommend doing after work or on weekends?

3. Any LGBTQ+ spaces, events, bars, clubs, or communities worth knowing about?

4. Where do you go for affordable clothes, thrift/vintage shopping, home stuff, etc.? Any particular markets or neighbourhoods I should explore?

5. Good affordable places to eat, especially international/African food?

6. Anything I should know about Austrian work culture or interacting with colleagues as someone coming from Africa?

7. Any advice, communities, events, or places that might help me meet other Africans or people from international backgrounds? Also, anything about navigating cultural differences that I should be prepared for?

8. Public transport, bureaucracy, groceries, banking, healthcare, gyms, haircuts/barbers, etc.—basically all the boring little things that make life easier once you know them.

9. What are your favourite places in Vienna that tourists usually don't know about?

I’m very excited (and admittedly a little nervous) about the move, and I’d love to make the most of my time there rather than just going to work and coming home every day.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice about moving to Vienna, what would it be?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!!!

Next week I'm going to Wien for work I will ve in the area of Schönbrunn (sorry if I misspelled it) but will have the afternoons HOPEFULLY for myself.

My idea was to go to the city center and just walk and get to know a little bit of the city so my question would be:

For context I'm Male and going alone so families only places of course I will not enter haha also I need to get back to my hotel preferably at most at 12-1am i still need to rest a bit before the next day.

1. What would be the best transport to go there? I see a train that apparently is my best option.

2. Walking which way should I go? Like for example I dont know "you gotta go see this and from there you just walk south there are great places"

3. Where to eat as a local? I'm from Barcelona and I hate tourist places i want the local home food experience.

Untill now my plan was to just walk and be surprised with whatever I find. Sit on a terrace and enjoy a beer and quick bite and just keep moving.

Thanks in advance!

Hello! I just moved to Vienna and I’m looking for recommendations for a really good gym.

Some of the things I’m looking for are:
- Technogym equipment as I’ve been working out with technogym equipment for 4 years now and it would be easier to adjust since I already know the machines/weights/resistance (although I’m open to other high-quality brands)
- Spacious gym — I really dislike cramped gyms where you’re constantly waiting for equipment
Preferably above ground / with windows and natural light, rather than an underground basement gym
- Good selection of proper strength-training equipment, not a gym that is mostly cardio machines
Ideally a good balance of free weights + machines. Good selection of squat racks, cables, Smith machines, leg equipment, plenty of dumbbells and plates, with enough weight for progressive strength training
- Ideally several options for lower-body/glute training (hip thrust, hack squat, leg press, pendulum squat, etc.)
- Good ventilation/air conditioning and generally a pleasant environment
- Not overwhelmingly crowded, especially after work
I’m happy to pay more for a premium gym if the equipment, space and overall facilities are genuinely better
- decent and respectful crowd of people that go to workout, mind their own business and are not creeps/IG influencers
Ideally somewhere that is not primarily a “fitness class” gym — I’m mainly interested in independent training

I’m also interested in things like sauna/wellness facilities, showers, changing rooms, parking, and whether they have busy peak hours, although those are secondary to the actual gym floor and equipment.

Which gyms in Vienna would you recommend based on these criteria? And if you’ve tried multiple gyms, which ones would you avoid** **and why?

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m posting this because a few friends of mine originally planned to move to Vienna for their studies and booked rooms in a student residence. However, they ended up enrolling at a university in another city, so unfortunately their rooms are now available.

I’m not a real estate agent or a landlord — I’m just trying to help them find someone who could take over the booking, as the rooms have already been reserved.

The room comes furnished with a bed, mattress, wardrobe, desk and chair. Bed linen, pillow, blanket and a personal box with dishes are provided upon move-in.

The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, dishwasher, washing machine and Wi-Fi. Utilities are included in the rent.

There is also online support available daily from 08:00–22:00 in case of any questions or issues.

If you’re a student moving to Vienna and looking for a place, feel free to DM me and I’ll send you the details/photos and explain how the booking works. 😊

And if you know someone who might be interested, I’d really appreciate it if you could share this with them!

Hi everyone! I’m (38F) in Vienna these days (I live in SWI but come 1-2 a month), who wants to meet up for drinks or simply hanging out?
Looking to defy the odds and make friends in this beautiful city (nothing romantic) 😍🌈🦄🍸💃🏼
Languages: ENG, FRA, approximate GER and even worse SPA

Hello, everyone!

I just moved here and I want some tips for riding a bike around the city. I'll be going with my little girl on the baby chair.

Any advice, things I should know, tips, anything? 😂

Thanks in advance.