Austria vs Switzerland
Cost of living
monthly median · solo budget
Between the two, Austria is cheaper — $2,649/mo vs $4,882/mo.
Austria is pricier than 37 of 41 European countries; Switzerland is pricier than 40 of 41 European countries.
Safety
safety index
Austria and Switzerland are even on safety — both at 5.0/5.
Getting around
transit & transport systems
Between the two, Austria scores higher on mobility — 4.1/5 vs 3.8/5.
Austria is easier to get around than 38 of 41 European countries; Switzerland is easier to get around than 37 of 41 European countries.
Culture
cultural depth
Top cultural centers
World Heritage sites
- Cultural
- Architectural landmark
- Cultural
- Architectural landmark
- Cultural
- Living heritage
- Natural
- Natural beauty
- Cultural
- Ancient civilization
- Cultural
- Living landscape
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · data UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Between the two, Austria scores higher on culture — 4.4/5 vs 3.5/5.
Austria is richer in culture than 40 of 41 European countries; Switzerland is lighter on culture than 22 of 41 European countries.
Passport reach
what the passport opens
Austria's passport reaches 101 destinations visa-free to Switzerland's 81 — Austria opens more doors without a visa.
Passport strength shifts over years of naturalisation, not months of planning, so it's a long-horizon footnote — not scored in the tally.
Airports
international connectivity
Between the two, Switzerland is better connected — 50M passengers/yr vs 34M passengers/yr.
Austria is busier than 44 of 87 countries worldwide; Switzerland is busier than 57 of 87 countries worldwide. Austria sees ~4 air passengers per resident a year; Switzerland sees ~6 air passengers per resident a year — a derived figure, not itself ranked.
Climate
where most people live · °C
Austria runs -14°C to 32°C for most people; Switzerland runs -11°C to 32°C for most people.
Sierre runs colder, at -20°C. Depends on you — which range fits your tolerance is the real question here, not a score.