How Much Does It Cost to Live in Vienna?
When a person starts thinking about Vienna, the first thing that comes into mind is that this amazing city must be highly expensive to live in.
However, Vienna is just full of tourists from all over the world, and due to their desires and wishes, as well as the differences in their budgets, Vienna has to offer various options, from less expensive services and apartments for those who live on a budget to extremely expensive flats and restaurants for those more luxurious ones.
Cost of Living Breakdown in Vienna
RESTAURANTS
Vienna is covered with tourists and that is why restaurants in the center of the city usually have higher meal prices.
If you are looking for a less expensive restaurant, you can find those with inexpensive dishes, and you will need to pay about $12 for one meal.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $11.46 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $4.58 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $2.13 |
MARKETS
Food is a big part in your monthly expenses and in Vienna, it is much cheaper to cook at your own home than to eat out.
Bread and eggs are quite expensive, while milk can be found at a reasonable price.
One way of saving money on food is to get ingredients in advance, while they are on discount.
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.20 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.05 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.70 |
TRANSPORTATION
The public transport system in Vienna is greatly organized and when you buy a ticket it can be used for the bus, train, metro and tram.
No matter whether you buy one way or monthly ticket, you can do that through the Wiener Linien ticket application and have it with you all the time in your smartphones.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $2.75 |
| Monthly Pass | $47.56 |
| Gasoline | $1.42 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Local mobile tariff is the only utility that is cheap in Vienna.
So as to be able to pay services of utmost importance, such as electricity, water and garbage, you will need to have approximately $200.
Besides that, the price of the Internet is not included, and it is around $35.
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $190.36 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.05 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $34.89 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
The sports people who enjoy exercising indoors would be amazed with the affordable prices of fitness club monthly fees, when compared to other countries.
On the other hand, if you want to play tennis, you will have to pay a rather high rent.
Entertainment is widely available in Vienna, so you would definitely find something that suits your budget.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $29.90 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $19.48 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $11.46 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
A great thing to note is that clothes in Vienna are less expensive than in some other cities in Austria.
It might be due to the numerous tourists that spend money on clothes once they visit it.
Still, it is more affordable buying running shoes or a pair of jeans in Vienna than in Linz.
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $84.54 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $42.20 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $95.58 |
RENT PER MONTH
Besides food, paying accommodation will be one of the biggest costs once you move to Vienna.
How high your rental costs will be depends on the location of your apartment, since the prices rise in some more prominent areas of the city.
The size, furniture and condition of the apartment also determine the price.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $973.85 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $734.13 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1896.46 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Vienna?
As in most of Austrian cities, food and rent take the first place on the list of the highest expenses in Vienna.
Once they cover those costs, people from Vienna allow themselves some entertainment by visiting local restaurants.
Transportation takes pretty much of monthly budget and if you want to save money on the public transport, there is another way of going through the city – cycling.
It is interesting that less money is given for utilities than for eating out.
The sports and clothes are not crucial expenses for them, so the least money is given on this.
Average Costs Breakdown
Vienna: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
In order to determine the living costs in Austria, you will have to take into consideration numerous factors that affect it, and it is very difficult to evaluate.
The first difference is among the various cities where living conditions are not the same, and the other is among people, as the personal lifestyles vary a lot.
Living in the large city like Vienna requires at least the average monthly salary.
People who earn minimum wages will struggle and deprive themselves from numerous leisures so as to be able to lead a decent life.
Vienna Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Vienna Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | LOW |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | LOW |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | MEDIUM |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | MEDIUM |
| MUGGING RISK | LOW |
| TERRORISM RISK | HIGH |
| SCAMS RISK | MEDIUM |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | LOW |
| TAP WATER RISK | LOW |
Cost of Living by City in Austria
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
 Graz |
75.61 |
| Innsbruck |
74.66 |
| Linz |
77.8 |
Isn’t it interesting how a city can cater to both budget travelers and those looking to splurge? It’s like you could spend a week in Vienna on a shoestring budget or blow your savings on fancy dinners. How do people usually decide where to splurge and where to save when visiting?
Seems like a mixed bag. While there are budget options, I wonder if the overall costs still creep up with so many tourists driving prices higher.
It’s true that living in Vienna can be quite a rollercoaster when it comes to costs. I appreciated how you highlighted the mix of budget-friendly options alongside the lavish ones; it’s nice to know there’s something for everyone!