🇦🇹 Austria · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Vienna? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, central districts (1., 4., 6.–9.)EUR 900–1,400 / month, gross including Betriebskosten
Electricity, gas and internet, one personEUR 110–190 / month on top of Betriebskosten
Groceries, one personEUR 300–430 / month
Wiener Linien annual passEUR 467 / year (EUR 461 digital) from 1 January 2026
Good to know
Population
≈2.0 million in the city; ≈2.9 million in the wider metropolitan region
Languages
German, in the Austrian standard variety — Jänner not Januar, Paradeiser not Tomate. English is workable in international employers and the centre, much less so in offices, tradespeople and older shops
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late October
Power plug
Type F (Schuko) and Type C, 230 V / 50 Hz
Climate
Continental — cold grey winters around freezing, hot summers frequently over 30 °C, and a persistent wind off the eastern plain
Postcodes
Four digits where the middle two are the district: 1010 is the 1st, 1070 the 7th, 1230 the 23rd. Reading an address tells you where it is
Tap water
Piped untreated from Alpine springs 100+ km away by the two Hochquellenwasserleitungen — bottled water is unnecessary here
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Vienna checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Vienna
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.