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: $2,041 in Germany versus $2,269 in Austria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,068 in Germany versus $3,348 in Austria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,094 in Germany versus $4,426 in Austria.

Living in Germany costs about 10% less than in Austria on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 49% above, Austria 66% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,405 to $2,841, compared to $1,846–$2,807 in Austria. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.22

$18.42 €15.96

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 €65.2

$82.3 €71.4

-8.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 €10.89

$13.97 €12.10

-10.09%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.68

$4.86 €4.21

-12.55%

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

$3.53 €3.06

$4.00 €3.47

-11.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.70

$3.13 €2.71

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 €4.44

$5.87 €5.09

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.05

$5.47 €4.74

-14.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.71 €1.48

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.89

$2.86 €2.48

-23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 €3.20

$2.48 €2.15

49.19%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.39

$4.94 €4.28

-20.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.72

$19.25 €16.68

-23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 €10.26

$14.80 €12.83

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.38 €18.53

$22.70 €19.67

-5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.78

$2.94 €2.55

9.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$2.45 €2.12

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.06

$3.23 €2.80

-26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.72

$4.30 €3.73

-0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.23 €1.94

-33.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$2.12 €1.83

-27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.02 €1.75

-15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$0.95 €0.83

11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 €8.63

$8.04 €6.97

23.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$8.75 €7.58

-32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.47 €1.27

-21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.39

$2.03 €1.76

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.54 €3.07

10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 €64.0

$61.5 €53.3

20.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.74

$5.72 €4.96

-4.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 €2.54

$2.44 €2.12

20.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.75 €35.31

$40.40 €35.01

0.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.90 €1.64

12.11%

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

$34.6K €30.0K

$30.8K €26.7K

12.22%

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

$40.0K €34.6K

$29.3K €25.4K

36.24%

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

$359 €311

$373 €323

-3.83%

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

$25.93 €22.47

$16.32 €14.15

58.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.77 €42.26

$36.52 €31.64

33.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 €36.07

$42.51 €36.84

-2.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.33 €24.55

$25.16 €21.80

12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.25

$14.28 €12.37

7.07%

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

$582 €504

$449 €389

29.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.4K

$17.4K €15.1K

2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €79.0

$101 €87.2

-9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 €37.91

$42.43 €36.77

3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$108 €93.8

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$138 €119

-3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 €802

$1,015 €880

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 €617

$828 €717

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,486

$1,831 €1,586

-6.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 €1,155

$1,436 €1,244

-7.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,235 €5,403

$7,712 €6,683

-19.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,085 €3,540

$4,898 €4,245

-16.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,390 €2,937

$3,123 €2,706

8.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.55

11.55%

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

Last update for Germany: September 14, 2026

Last update for Austria: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $832 in Germany, $986 in Austria. Capital cities: $1,551 in Berlin vs $1,352 in Vienna.

National salary averages: $3,205 in Germany, $2,998 in Austria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 19% higher in Austria.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in Germany.

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 $2,327 per month in Austria and $2,123 in Germany, there's a 10% 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.