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

Name: Austria
Address: AT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,017 in Germany versus $2,265 in Austria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Germany versus $3,331 in Austria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,078 in Germany versus $4,396 in Austria.

Living in Germany costs about 11% less than in Austria on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 51% above, Austria 70% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,340 to $2,866, compared to $1,801–$2,733 in Austria. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.96

$17.03 €14.90

0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.5

$80.7 €70.6

-5.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.30

$11.54 €10.10

1.99%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.46

$4.44 €3.88

-10.81%

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

$3.39 €2.97

$3.76 €3.29

-9.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.66

$3.05 €2.67

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 €4.61

$5.69 €4.98

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.06

$5.12 €4.48

-9.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.66 €1.45

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.92

$2.82 €2.47

-22.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.04

$2.59 €2.27

33.98%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.42

$4.55 €3.98

-14.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €13.15

$18.35 €16.05

-18.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.15

$15.03 €13.15

-7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 €17.61

$23.02 €20.14

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.75

$2.94 €2.58

6.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.40 €2.10

-21.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$3.15 €2.75

-25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 €4.15

$4.56 €3.99

3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$2.21 €1.93

-27.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$2.06 €1.81

-23.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.95 €1.70

-2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.85 €0.75

30.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 €8.65

$7.59 €6.64

30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €5.09

$8.50 €7.44

-31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.42 €1.24

-24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.95 €1.70

-13.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.32

$2.81 €2.46

35.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 €58.3

$58.1 €50.8

14.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.02

$5.93 €5.19

-3.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.03

$1.99 €1.74

16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.07 €33.30

$34.77 €30.42

9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.75 €1.53

11.43%

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

$30.9K €27.0K

$30.3K €26.5K

1.98%

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

$37.6K €32.9K

$31.2K €27.3K

20.49%

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

$349 €305

$384 €336

-9.24%

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

$27.86 €24.37

$20.49 €17.92

35.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 €44.64

$40.52 €35.45

25.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 €36.06

$46.87 €41.01

-12.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 €21.43

$25.91 €22.67

-5.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 €12.12

$13.81 €12.08

0.36%

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

$472 €413

$384 €336

22.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.1K

$15.0K €13.1K

-0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €81.2

$101 €88.4

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 €37.91

$44.48 €38.92

-2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.6

$106 €92.4

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €115

$141 €123

-7.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €907

$1,016 €889

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 €666

$829 €725

-8.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 €1,687

$1,814 €1,587

6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 €1,258

$1,453 €1,271

-1.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,101 €5,338

$7,694 €6,731

-20.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,120 €3,604

$4,823 €4,220

-14.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,351 €2,932

$2,989 €2,615

12.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

3.72

6.99%

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

Last update for Germany: July 12, 2026

Last update for Austria: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $915 in Austria. Capital cities: $1,439 in Berlin vs $1,245 in Vienna.

National salary averages: $3,150 in Germany, $2,914 in Austria. 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

Germany vs Austria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,267 per month in Austria and $2,103 in Germany, there's a 8% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Germany: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.