🇪🇸 Las Palmas vs Vienna for digital nomads 🇦🇹
Deciding between Las Palmas and Vienna means trading cost against comfort, climate and community. Here is how the two compare on every metric that shapes a working month abroad.
Las Palmas is in Spain, Vienna in Austria, which matters more than it sounds: it changes your visa options, your tax exposure and how easily you can hop home for a wedding.
Short answer
Las Palmas is both the cheaper city ($1,700 vs $2,500 a month) and the higher scorer (4.4/5 vs 4.2/5), which makes it the straightforward pick for most remote workers.
| Metric | 🇪🇸 Las Palmas | 🇦🇹 Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $1,700 ✓ | $2,500 |
| Nomad score | 4.4/5 ✓ | 4.2/5 |
| Internet | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Safety | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 ✓ |
| Walkability | 4.3/5 | 4.8/5 ✓ |
| Fun & nightlife | 4.1/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Weather | 4.9/5 ✓ | 3.8/5 |
| Air quality | 4.4/5 ✓ | 4/5 |
Cost of living: Las Palmas vs Vienna
Start with money. Living in Las Palmas costs around $1,700 a month; Vienna asks about $2,500 for the same standard of living. Across a year that 32% gap compounds into $9,600, which is the difference between a tight twelve months and a comfortable eighteen. Both numbers assume the same basket — a one-bed flat, cooking at home most nights with a few meals out, getting around locally, mobile data and a coworking membership. Costs move with season and neighbourhood, so treat these as the midpoint of a realistic range rather than a fixed price.
Time zones and the working day
The time difference between Las Palmas and Vienna is 1 hours — Las Palmas runs on UTC and Vienna on UTC+1, putting Vienna ahead. A standard 9–6 working day still overlaps by about 8 hours, so switching between the two barely disturbs a European or same-region client schedule.
Internet and wifi for remote work
For connectivity, Vienna edges ahead at 4.5/5 against 4.2/5 for Las Palmas — a slim margin. The score covers fixed-line speed, mobile coverage and how reliably you can join a video call from a public space rather than your flat. At that level you can treat Vienna as fully reliable for client calls, large uploads and remote onboarding without a backup plan.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Vienna rates higher for safety (4.7/5 versus 4.5/5) — separated by a rounding error in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. On walkability Vienna takes it at 4.8/5 against 4.3/5, which in practice decides whether you can live without a car or a daily ride-hail habit. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Vienna scores 4.5/5 to Las Palmas’s 4.1/5.
Weather and air quality
Las Palmas has the better climate for year-round remote work, 4.9/5 against 3.8/5 — our weather score rewards mild shoulder seasons and penalises long stretches you would rather not be outside in. Vienna sits noticeably further from the equator than Las Palmas (48° against 28°), which usually means sharper seasons, shorter winter days and a bigger gap between your best and worst months. Air quality is the bigger split: Las Palmas rates 4.4/5 and Vienna 4/5. If you run, cycle or have any respiratory sensitivity, that gap is worth more than a few hundred dollars of rent.
Visas and how long you can stay
This is where the two genuinely diverge. Spain offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1-year visa, convertible to a 3-year permit and requiring around $3,000 a month in proven income. Austria has no dedicated nomad visa on our index, so a long stay means working within tourist-entry limits or a different permit. Always confirm current rules with the relevant consulate before you book anything long.
Las Palmas vs Vienna: the verdict
- Choose Las Palmas if your priority is stretching your runway — it is the cheaper base at $1,700 a month, saving you $9,600 a year.
- Las Palmas also takes the overall nomad score (4.4/5 against 4.2/5), so it is cheaper and stronger — the rare case where there is no trade-off.
- Want to stop thinking about where you leave your laptop? Vienna scores better on safety. Want the bigger social scene and more going on after dark? Vienna. Live or die by your upload speed? Vienna has the better connectivity score. Want to live without a car? Vienna is the more walkable of the two.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Las Palmas or Vienna
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
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Las Palmas vs Vienna: frequently asked questions
Is Las Palmas or Vienna cheaper for digital nomads?
Las Palmas is cheaper, at roughly $1,700 a month against $2,500 for Vienna — a difference of $9,600 a year. Those are full monthly budgets, not rent alone: a one-bed flat, food, getting around, mobile data and a coworking desk.
What is the time difference between Las Palmas and Vienna?
1 hours. Las Palmas is on UTC and Vienna is on UTC+1, and a normal 9–6 working day overlaps by about 8 hours.
Which has better internet, Las Palmas or Vienna?
Vienna rates 4.5/5 for internet and Las Palmas 4.2/5, so Vienna is the safer bet if you live on video calls.
Which is safer, Las Palmas or Vienna?
Vienna scores 4.7/5 for safety and Las Palmas scores 4.5/5, giving Vienna the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Las Palmas or Vienna — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Las Palmas leads with a 4.4/5 nomad score against 4.2/5 for Vienna. Treat that as a starting point rather than a verdict: budget, weather and visa access will move the answer for most people.
Can I get a digital nomad visa for Las Palmas or Vienna?
Spain offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1-year visa, convertible to a 3-year permit and requiring around $3,000 a month in proven income. Austria does not run a dedicated nomad visa, so long stays rely on tourist entry limits or another permit.
Which has better weather, Las Palmas or Vienna?
Las Palmas rates 4.9/5 for climate and Vienna 3.8/5, with air quality at 4.4/5 and 4/5 respectively.
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