Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austria and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,242 in Austria, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Austria
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Austria Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index

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🇦🇹 Austria

$2,242

/mo nomad

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austria and in Spain

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 Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Austria versus $1,775 in Spain.

Austria $2,242
Spain $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Austria versus $2,606 in Spain.

Austria $3,363
Spain $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,484 in Austria versus $3,438 in Spain.

Austria $4,484
Spain $3,438

Austria ($1,363–$2,695) and Spain ($931–$2,610) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Austria is roughly 26% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Austria 65% above, Spain 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 €15.86

$16.69 €14.95

6.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 €69.0

$55.7 €49.88

38.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.23

$11.37 €10.18

20.14%

Cappuccino

$4.52 €4.05

$2.42 €2.16

86.78%

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

$3.73 €3.34

$2.68 €2.40

39.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.64

$1.79 €1.60

64.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.93

$3.42 €3.07

60.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$3.88 €3.47

44.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.20 €1.07

45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.36

$1.48 €1.33

77.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.67 €1.50

39.52%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.24

$3.42 €3.06

38.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.99 €17.01

$14.17 €12.69

34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 €12.67

$8.33 €7.46

69.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 €19.86

$16.20 €14.51

36.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.45 €2.20

15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.13

$2.03 €1.82

16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.08 €1.86

50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 €3.72

$2.58 €2.31

60.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.83 €1.64

18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.00 €1.79

8.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.31 €1.17

48.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.83

$0.77 €0.69

19.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.67 €6.87

$6.36 €5.70

20.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.93 €8.00

$5.64 €5.05

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.30

$1.30 €1.17

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.09 €1.87

-6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €3.09

$1.64 €1.47

110.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 €55.1

$32.91 €29.48

86.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 €4.96

$4.43 €3.96

25.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 €2.21

$1.47 €1.31

68.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.48 €34.47

$24.98 €22.38

54.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.77 €1.59

6.78%

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

$30.4K €27.2K

$35.5K €31.8K

-14.41%

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

$31.6K €28.3K

$30.6K €27.4K

3.09%

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

$348 €312

$149 €134

133.34%

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

$15.29 €13.69

$17.67 €15.83

-13.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.39 €30.80

$31.88 €28.55

7.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 €36.86

$44.24 €39.62

-6.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 €22.41

$15.29 €13.70

63.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €12.30

$9.66 €8.65

42.13%

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

$438 €392

$544 €487

-19.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K €15.0K

$10.6K €9,499

58.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €86.9

$84.9 €76.0

14.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.31 €38.79

$37.11 €33.24

16.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €93.3

$89.2 €79.9

16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$106 €94.7

22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 €902

$1,056 €946

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 €738

$808 €723

2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 €1,637

$1,621 €1,452

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 €1,286

$1,246 €1,116

15.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,398 €6,626

$4,135 €3,704

78.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,695 €4,205

$2,633 €2,358

78.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,083 €2,761

$1,999 €1,790

54.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.3

6.67%

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

Last update for Austria: October 27, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austria

$824 36.8%

Spain

$808 45.5% 2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austria

$398 17.8%

Spain

$199 11.2% 50% $199

Groceries & Markets

Austria

$387 17.3%

Spain

$272 15.3% 29.8% $115

Eating Out

Austria

$302 13.5%

Spain

$239 13.5% 20.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Austria

$168 7.5%

Spain

$143 8% 15.3% $26

Getting Around

Austria

$93 4.2%

Spain

$51 2.9% 45% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austria

$69 3.1%

Spain

$64 3.6% 7.4% $5

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,011 in Austria, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,359 in Vienna vs $1,508 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,850 in Austria, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in Austria.

Dining out costs 32% more in Austria.

Public transport is 84% more expensive in Austria.

Salaries are 45% higher in Austria, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Austria.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Austria

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

Same time as Austria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,979,894

47,415,750

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austria Spain 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austria
Spain

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,242 per month in Austria and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 21% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Spain: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,011 in Austria and $920 in Spain. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Spain wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.