Cost of Living in Vienna

Just visited Vienna for the second time and I figured that it would be worth writing a review about.

Things I liked:
- The architecture, as others have mentioned, is really beautiful
- Food/cafes are also really good. I recommend trying options in Leopoldstadt, where the choices were better (IMO) than the city center. Fromme Helene is close to the city hall and great for Schnitzel, strüdel, etc.
- Efficient public transport, though it can take a few days to get used to if you're from a smaller place
- Most people speak reasonable English (though many public transport announcements are only in German)
- Good links to the rest of Europe—you can get the train to Budapest, Bratislava, Zürich, and many other cities
- Well-run airport, which I found much better if you're travelling within the Schengen Area than if you're going outside (i.e. UK)

Things I didn't like:
- The service was really slow. I don't care about waiters not talking to you, and to be honest, I prefer things that way. However, be prepared to wait a long time for your food in many cases
- The inner city is quite crowded on weekends, mainly with tourists
- Like in Germany/Switzerland, many things are closed on Sundays. Keep this in mind if you need to visit the supermarket, etc.

Vienna is more expensive than other European cities, but I don't think it's as pricey as people make it out to be. Considering the quality of food, transport, etc., I think that prices are fair. Maybe a good idea to choose an alternative base if you're earning less than $3,500/$4,000 per month, though.

As for the people, the stereotype of Viennese grumpiness has an element of truth to it IMO. People are stern but polite, but I've found that the Germans/Swiss (and people from other parts of Austria) were a bit warmer initially. One thing that did annoy me, however, is that people would just barge past instead of asking you to move out of the way. I would guess that they make great friends once you get into their circles, but would also expect that you'd have to learn German to make friends with them and also live here for a few years.

I enjoy visiting Vienna—but personally, I couldn't see myself living there. Salzburg is a better option if you want to stay in Austria for a bit, but I'd probably pick Munich if you want a larger city and have the money to live in the DACH region.

Been living in Vienna since 7 years so I have alot to say about the city while iving as an expat:

Pro: Safety, Good Transportation

Cons: Racism, not open to foreigners, hard to make friends with Austrians as they are not open, everything is expensive, boring not much to do, extremely cold in the winter.

Leaving soon to Spain and I cannot wait :D

Pros:
* Very clean - lots of hand sanitisation places and people wear masks + streets are clean
* Great, cheap public transport
* Very beautiful city and good parks
* Pretty good Italian and asian food

Cons:
* Coffee shops seem to have mostly gone and been replaced with lots of Starbucks and other chains.
* Food / drinks is very expensive in most parts - Local beer is quite cheap though
* Barely any night life to speak of - everything closes at 11pm

Other Info:
COVID restrictions are very strict there (in a good and bad way). You need to provide proof of vaccination/recovery even to sit outside for a coffee. Not a problem if you are vaccinated but a huge one if you aren't.
FFP2 Masks are required everywhere - you will be turned away from places if you don't have one.

Been there in January. Like Schonbrunn more than the old center of VIENNA. Honestly, I wouldn't go there during the winter, but in the summer will definitely return for a good look upon the stuff over there.