Vienna: a great place to live and develop yourself

Vienna is widely renowned for being a great place to live that offers an excellent quality of life. In fact, it was voted the best place to live in the world for ten years running in Mercer’s Quality of Living survey. 

This repeated recognition is due to Vienna’s:

  • Affordable, good quality housing 
  • Excellent transportation system
  • Great infrastructure
  • Clean environment and abundant green space 
  • Lack of pollution
  • High-quality education
  • Excellent healthcare
  • Robust economy
  • Low crime rates
  • Vibrant culture
  • Central location
  • Proximity to nature

Vienna is also repeatedly ranked in the top 15 QS Best Student Cities. In 2021, it came in 13th overall and sixth in desirability. 

Indeed, Veronika from WU Vienna agrees that the city is an ideal place to live: “I think it’s just great for living and great for developing yourself.” (00:44)

High-quality academics and diversity at WU Vienna

If you want to study a Master’s Degree in Vienna, WU Vienna is an excellent choice. They represent one of the largest and most modern schools dedicated to business, economics, and the social sciences in Europe. Their academic programs are characterized by their quality, diversity, international feel, and ties to the business community.

With 21,500 students from over 100 countries, WU Vienna is a very diverse environment. They have eight different English-taught Master’s programs, have a coveted triple accreditation (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA), and help their students find a job within a month on average.

Regarding its facilities and IT infrastructure, WU offers one of the most modern campuses in Europe. If students decide to go on exchange or summer programs in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe or in Asia and North America, there is an international network of roughly 130 partner universities. 

More reasonably priced than you might think

Lots of people assume that Vienna is an expensive city, which would make it difficult for students with tight budgets to live there. However, living in Vienna as a young person is more reasonably priced than you might think. There are many student discounts available and public transportation is affordable, making it easy to cut costs.

Kristina points out that it’s also a lot less expensive than other major European student cities like London. “If you compare Vienna to London, it’s definitely not that expensive,” she says (01:01)

The average cost of living for a student in Vienna is approximately 950 euros per month. This includes simple accommodation, food (excluding luxuries), transportation, books, culture, and some recreation. Universities also often help students find affordable accommodation either on campus or in shared off-campus housing. 

A small city with countless places to visit

Vienna is a very attractive place for students to live because it’s beautiful, diverse, and has a lot to offer while still remaining compact. Veronika says, “The city center is not super big and you can get everywhere in twenty to thirty minutes.” (00:29) Many students describe it as being the perfect size.

Despite being a smaller city, Vienna has countless unique places that students enjoy visiting and exploring. Some WU Vienna student favorites include:

  • The Vienna State Opera House
  • The Kahlenberg hill
  • The Albertina museum
  • The Augarten park
  • The Rathausplatz square (it becomes an ice skating rink in the winter!)
  • The Neubau 7th district

Enjoy the great outdoors at your doorstep

If you love nature and spending time outside, Vienna would be an excellent place for you to live. Austria is considered one of the most naturally beautiful countries in Europe and you’ll have the great outdoors right at your doorstep living in Vienna.

Hiking and spending time in the countryside are popular leisure activities for Austrians. There are plenty of parks and hiking routes that you can explore on day trips from Vienna. If you want to take a few days of vacation and head further afield, you’ve got world-class mountain ranges and hiking destinations like the Austrian Alps, the Stubai Mountain Range, and the Kaiser Mountain Range.

If hiking isn’t your thing, there are also spectacular lakes in Austria like Lake Weissensee and Lake Gosausee, which are ideal to visit during the warmer months.

Basically, if you live in Vienna and need a nature fix, you don’t have to go far to enjoy some truly incredible natural sites!