Is Vienna Expensive? Answers With Useful Information & Tips

Do you want to travel to Vienna and plan to rent an hotel in the city? Or are you wanting to live long-term in Vienna and plan to rent an apartment? Knowing whether Vienna is expensive before you make plans is essential for budgeting for your visit.

Although Vienna has a great international reputation, is it expensive city? It’s an important question for travelers who are planning for a visit, or for those who are looking to move there. The answer, however, isn’t that simple.

There are several factors to look at when you’re considering the cost of Vienna and the good news is, it’s not as expensive as other cities in Europe. The city ranks reasonably well according to an international cost of living survey conducted by Numbeo.

Housing Costs

Regarding housing, single room rent in downtown Vienna is around 500-650 Euros a month – that’s considerably lower than the rents you’ll find in cities such as Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg. It’s important to remember that it’s common in Vienna to sign an agreement for a minimum of two years.

Other costs such as deposit and commission vary. You should also remember that utilities will add about 200-300 Euros onto your bill each month – so factor that into your budget too.

Clearly, if you’re from certain countries where the buying power is lower than in Austria, it might be quite hard to afford this kind of rent.

Food & Eating Out

Costs of eating out vary depending on the meal and type of restaurant you choose. There are various type of cuisines available in Vienna – such as Italian, French, Mexican, Indian, Chinese and more – but especially Italian cuisine is popular among Viennese. Cost of eating at a restaurant can range up to 70 Euro per person if you’re eating a gourmet meal at a luxury restaurant but normally restaurants charges around 10-15 Euros per head.

Supermarket prices in Vienna generally tends towards the middle range side, although there is little variation overall between supermarkets – no matter which one you choose, you will still get decent grocery items at reasonable prices. The Supermarktcheck survey published yearly rates supermarkets selling quality food at reasonable prices, so you can choose where to shop.

Transportation

Wiener Linien is Vienna’s public transport network – which includes buses, trams, metro and trains – and it’s affordable, fast and reliable. It’s one of the best public transport systems in Europe and is perfect for those who looks for cheaper options compared to other European cities.

A single trip costs € 2.40 (maximum 1 hour) for adults over 19 years old and € 1.40 for those under 19 years old or those over 60 years old. You can also get a 24-hour ticket for just € 7.60 – which is perfect for tourists who don’t require multiple tickets.

You can also purchase monthly subscription tickets which are much more economical if you’re in town for more than a week – they cost just € 78.60 – € 99.60 if you purchase an annual subscription, depending on how much physical travel you plan to do and where you travel within the city boundaries.

Shopping & Entertainment

Prices of shoe stores and clothing stores vary widely – even high-end brands like Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton have some items priced reasonably well in comparison with other cities in Europe, but when compared to other cities in the world, clothes shopping can be quite expensive – especially for luxury brands or items made from higher quality materials.

Likewise, prices for entertainment vary greatly depending on what you choose – visiting cultural sites or museums cost around 15€ each and tickets for sports events or concerts can go up to 40-60€ depending on the event itself.

Conclusion

So is Vienna expensive when compared to other European cities? The answer is not clear-cut, as there are too many variables to consider: housing, food, transportation, entertainment and more all play a role in assessing the overall cost of living in Vienna. Generally speaking though, Vienna is not an expensive city when compared with other major European destinations – particuraly when it comes to transportation costs. Food, housing and entertainment are all fairly reasonably priced which could explain why it continues to be a popular tourist destination year after year.

If you’re looking for a touriist destination that’s hill on culture but also easy on the wallet then Vienna could be worth considering as your next journwetry destination! For further information on tourist activities and sights around Vienna, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide To Sightseeing In Vienna .