Cost of Living Comparison Between Austria and Germany Cost of Living Comparison Between Austria and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,271 in Austria versus $2,017 in Germany.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,345 in Austria versus $3,049 in Germany.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,418 in Austria versus $4,081 in Germany.

Living in Austria is roughly 13% more expensive than Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Austria 69% above, Germany 51% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,333 to $2,865, compared to $1,784–$2,696 in Austria. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 €15.08

$17.12 €14.73

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €70.4

$75.6 €65.0

8.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.02

$11.77 €10.12

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.76

$4.15 €3.57

5.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.29

$3.38 €2.91

13.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.96 €2.55

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €4.91

$5.33 €4.59

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.42

$4.59 €3.95

11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.32 €1.13

29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.19 €1.89

28.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$3.30 €2.84

-21.52%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.03

$3.88 €3.34

20.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.01 €16.35

$14.64 €12.59

29.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.05 €12.94

$13.85 €11.92

8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.68 €20.37

$20.07 €17.26

17.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$3.20 €2.75

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.12

$1.89 €1.63

30.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 €2.65

$2.29 €1.97

34.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 €3.97

$4.78 €4.11

-3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.60 €1.38

38.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.64 €1.41

21.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.92 €1.65

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.10 €0.95

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.43 €6.39

$9.68 €8.33

-23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.12 €7.85

$5.75 €4.94

58.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.10 €0.95

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.63 €1.40

17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.51

$3.74 €3.22

-21.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 €51.0

$67.0 €57.6

-11.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 €5.10

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.34 €2.02

-12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.73 €29.88

$37.50 €32.26

-7.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.02 €1.74

-12.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.3K €25.2K

$31.2K €26.8K

-5.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.6K €27.2K

$37.8K €32.5K

-16.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$375 €323

$356 €306

5.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.30 €17.46

$27.58 €23.73

-26.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.99 €34.40

$51.7 €44.49

-22.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.35 €40.73

$40.39 €34.75

17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.79 €22.18

$25.17 €21.65

2.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.92 €11.98

$13.75 €11.83

1.24%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$385 €331

$477 €410

-19.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

-0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.1

$95.0 €81.7

9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.37 €38.17

$44.64 €38.40

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.3

$103 €89.0

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €124

$136 €117

6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 €869

$1,007 €867

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 €693

$779 €670

3.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 €1,530

$1,927 €1,657

-7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 €1,227

$1,467 €1,262

-2.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,514 €6,463

$6,266 €5,390

19.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,994 €4,296

$4,093 €3,521

22.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 €2,626

$3,405 €2,929

-10.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

3.98

-6.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austria: June 2, 2026

Last update for Germany: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $913 in Austria, $846 in Germany. Capital cities: $1,232 in Vienna vs $1,410 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $2,981 in Austria, $3,209 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in Austria.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austria vs Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,240 per month in Austria and $2,099 in Germany, there's a 7% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Germany is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Austria beats Germany across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Germany, $3,000 covers most cities easily. In Austria, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Germany wins on affordability; Austria may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.