City comparison

A resounding victory for Vienna in comparison with Germany

What can Vienna and Hamburg do better? The comparison certainly makes sense.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

Vienna is incomparable - but if it is, then apart from all the vague "most liveable city" awards, it is best compared to Hamburg. In a direct comparison of the two-million-strong metropolis, the residents say: game, set and match for the federal capital.

The Viennese like to roll their eyes when asked about the "most liveable city in the world" as their home. Yes, "from the outside" perhaps, for tourists or managers from abroad! But what does it look like "from the inside"? A comparison with Hamburg suggests itself: two growing metropolitan areas of two million people in their region, both ethnically diverse and even both with elections approaching.

Fairer, safer, cheaper and greener
Vienna can hardly compete with the waterscapes of the "Venice of the North". But immigrants on city rating portals such as versus.com or numbeu.com are all the more amazed at "how close the mountains are!" But especially in everyday life, a look outside the box shows that we could really be doing worse: Vienna, for example, is among the fairest ten percent in the world when it comes to the equal distribution of earned income, while Hamburg only makes it into the top 20.

Vienna wants to expand its position as a cultural metropolis with its Strauss Festival Year 2025. Mayor Michael Ludwig has now presented the program with "Haus der Musik" director Simon Posch, artistic director Roland Geyer, City Councillor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler and star percussionist Martin Grubinger.

(Bild: Stadt Wien / Christian Jobst)

Vienna also has 0.4 percent lower unemployment and 2.4 percent fewer people with foreign passports than the city on the Elbe. Although home ownership and rents in the city center are more expensive in Vienna, the overall rent level is 117 euros cheaper per month. The monthly public transport pass in Vienna is only half as expensive - not to mention the annual pass -, the green space per resident is almost three times as large and the drinking water is world-famous anyway.

Pole position in safety issues under threat
Vienna is also ahead in terms of safety - for the time being: statistics show that more and more effort has been required to maintain this status. However, culture is one of Vienna's "big attractions": almost twice as many museums, almost three times as many theaters, opera houses and concert halls. Vienna will underline its status as cultural capital next year in particular: On Friday, the 199th birthday of Johann Strauss, the city presented the program for the 200th anniversary year for the Waltz King.

What the Danube Waltz does to the mayor
There will be 65 productions on 250 performance days in 2025, many of them - from the sounding of the Pummerin at the beginning of the year - with free admission in all districts. The program is available at johannstrauss2025.at and tickets are already on sale. After all, according to Mayor Michael Ludwig, the Viennese are characterized as cultural people: "When you land in Vienna with the AUA and hear the Danube Waltz, you know: 'Yes, now we're back home'."