Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austria and Germany

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,080 a month against $2,242 in Austria, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austria
Germany
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,242
/mo nomad
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,080
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austria and in Germany

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austria and in Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Austria versus $2,080 in Germany.

  • Austria $2,242
  • Germany $2,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Austria versus $3,130 in Germany.

  • Austria $3,363
  • Germany $3,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,484 in Austria versus $4,180 in Germany.

  • Austria $4,484
  • Germany $4,180

Austria ($1,363–$2,695) and Germany ($1,337–$2,681) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Austria is roughly 8% more expensive than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Austria 65% above, Germany 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austria
Germany
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.71 €15.86
$16.60 €14.87
6.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.0 €69.0
$71.8 €64.3
7.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.66 €12.23
$12.12 €10.86
12.71%
Cappuccino
$4.52 €4.05
$3.96 €3.55
14.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 €3.34
$3.36 €3.01
11.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 €2.64
$2.89 €2.59
2.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.50 €4.93
$5.07 €4.54
8.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$4.50 €4.03
24.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austria
Germany
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.26 €1.13
38.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 €2.36
$2.20 €1.97
19.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 €2.08
$3.54 €3.17
-34.18%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.24
$3.88 €3.48
22.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.99 €17.01
$14.24 €12.75
33.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 €12.67
$11.90 €10.66
18.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.18 €19.86
$20.68 €18.52
7.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.84 €2.54
$3.28 €2.94
-13.41%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 €2.13
$2.05 €1.83
15.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.31 €2.07
35.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 €3.72
$4.29 €3.84
-3.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.53 €1.37
41.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.50 €1.34
44.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.95 €1.75
$1.64 €1.46
18.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 €0.83
$1.02 €0.91
-9.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.67 €6.87
$9.69 €8.68
-20.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.93 €8.00
$6.01 €5.38
48.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.30
$1.12 €1.01
29.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.56 €1.40
25.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Austria
Germany
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.45 €3.09
$3.85 €3.44
-10.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.5 €55.1
$69.7 €62.4
-11.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.54 €4.96
$5.34 €4.78
3.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.47 €2.21
$2.81 €2.51
-12.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.48 €34.47
$38.83 €34.78
-0.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.13 €1.91
-11.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K €27.2K
$32.6K €29.2K
-6.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K €28.3K
$37.7K €33.8K
-16.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austria
Germany
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$348 €312
$342 €306
1.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.29 €13.69
$24.87 €22.27
-38.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.39 €30.80
$48.49 €43.43
-29.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austria
Germany
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.15 €36.86
$39.42 €35.30
4.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.02 €22.41
$27.47 €24.61
-8.92%
Cinema Ticket
$13.73 €12.30
$14.65 €13.12
-6.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austria
Germany
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$438 €392
$611 €547
-28.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K €15.0K
$17.3K €15.5K
-2.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austria
Germany
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.0 €86.9
$89.1 €79.8
8.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.31 €38.79
$42.07 €37.67
2.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €93.3
$98.3 €88.0
5.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €116
$131 €117
-0.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austria
Germany
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 €902
$934 €837
7.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$824 €738
$718 €643
14.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,828 €1,637
$1,704 €1,526
7.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 €1,286
$1,294 €1,159
10.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,398 €6,626
$5,944 €5,323
24.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,695 €4,205
$3,958 €3,545
18.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austria
Germany
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,083 €2,761
$3,290 €2,946
-6.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
3.96
-11.11%

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

Last update for Austria: October 27, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austria
$824
Germany
$718 12.8% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austria
$398
Germany
$415 4.4% $17
Groceries & Markets
Austria
$387
Germany
$335 13.4% $52
Eating Out
Austria
$302
Germany
$276 8.7% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Austria
$168
Germany
$162 3.8% $6.3
Getting Around
Austria
$93
Germany
$104 12.1% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Austria
$69
Germany
$69 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,011 in Austria, $812 in Germany. Capital cities: $1,359 in Vienna vs $1,407 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $2,850 in Austria, $3,107 in Germany. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Austria.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Germany.

Good to know
🇦🇹 Austria
🇩🇪 Germany
🕒 Local time
00:28 12:28 AM
00:28 12:28 AM
Same time as Austria
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,979,894
84,358,845
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austria Germany 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austria
  • Germany

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the cost difference between Austria and Germany?
At $2,242 per month in Austria and $2,080 in Germany, Germany comes out about 7% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,011 in Austria and $812 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Austria or to Germany?
It depends on what you’re after: Germany wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Austria vs other spots: cost of living compared

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