Housing
The city of Vienna has 23 Berziks or districts. The city has a sort of circular layout, with the center being its historic Inner City. It is surrounded by the Ring Road, which houses many famous buildings including the Hofburg Palace and the State Opera House.
The second district called Leopoldstadt houses many several neighborhoods and impressively Baroque-structured buildings. There are also several housing projects along the Danube.
Districts 4 and 5 are composed of many business establishments and art galleries. This is also where one can find Vienna's own little Chinatown. District 6 on the other hand has Vienna's most popular street shopping destination called the Mariahilferstraße.
Districts 8 and 9 are smaller districts; however, these two are also the more affluent and also serve as headquarters for many businesses.
The other districts from 10 to 21 are less urbanized areas and some include a mix of farms, small, quaint neighborhoods, and mostly immigrant housing areas.
Rent for a home in the city center costs around 700-1,560.00 Euros while a place outside of the busy city core costs about 1,386.67 Euros.
Food
If New York is known for its hotdogs, Vienna's streets are abundant with sausages that come in all shapes and sizes. Snack bars that serve a huge selection of sausages are called "Würstlstand" and are sprawled across the city.
Many Yugoslavian and Turkish dishes are also popularly sold in fast foods all over Vienna. Sandwiches are also the city's most popular snack and are your pocket's best friend for a quick filling meal for just one Euro.
The place called Naschmarkt has more than 15 mid-range restaurants for you to choose from with meals averaging around 8-15 Euros.
The city is also popular for its many ice cream parlors and coffee shops. In fact, coffee drinking is more than just a menial task, but a culture. The city is famous for its 19th or 20th century-designed funky and creative coffeehouses. Wineries and beerhouses are also popular nightlife destinations.
Dining out in a decent restaurant would cost around 18 -26 Euros. Basic food items such as a liter of milk cost about 1.05 Euro while a loaf of fresh bread is about 2.55 Euros.
Transportation and Utilities
Vienna has an efficient and extensive transportation system which makes use of bus, rail, taxi, and tram system.
The underground metro rail system called the U-Bahn has the second-highest per capita ridership in the world. This rail system is used mostly in the city's business areas and inner districts. The S-Bahn on the other hand is used to travel from the city center to nearby suburban towns.
Trams are a more leisurely way of getting around the city. Most tourists and those who want to opt for a more relaxing ride take one of the city's 27 tramlines.
A one-way ticket for any of the transport systems usually cost around 1.87 Euros while a monthly pass costs around 49.50 Euros.
Utility costs for basic needs such as electricity, gas, water, and garbage collection costs about 205 Euros. Internet connection costs around 30 Euros.
No wonder that despite the high cost of living, Austria's capital city of Vienna is fast becoming a popular expat area.
