Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salzburg and Vienna

For one person, living is cheaper in Vienna: $2,325 a month against $2,698 in Salzburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Salzburg
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Salzburg Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Vienna
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Vienna Living Index

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Salzburg

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,698

/mo nomad

Vienna

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salzburg and in Vienna

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

A single person spends $2,698 per month in Salzburg vs $2,325 in Vienna, rent included.

Salzburg $2,698
Vienna $2,325

A couple spends around $4,032 per month in Salzburg vs $3,463 in Vienna, rent included.

Salzburg $4,032
Vienna $3,463

A family of three spends $5,367 per month in Salzburg vs $4,601 in Vienna, rent included.

Salzburg $5,367
Vienna $4,601

Salzburg costs about 16% more than Vienna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salzburg and Vienna sit above the global median – Salzburg by 99%, Vienna by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 €15.76

$19.39 €17.25

-8.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €69.4

$90.4 €80.4

-13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.78

$13.20 €11.74

0.30%

Cappuccino

$5.20 €4.63

$5.10 €4.54

1.96%

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

$4.63 €4.12

$3.89 €3.46

19.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$3.17 €2.82

28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.17

$5.94 €5.28

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.74

$5.56 €4.95

-4.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.58 €1.41

8.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.13 €1.90

44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.59 €2.31

-3.09%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.67

$4.67 €4.16

12.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.15 €18.82

$14.04 €12.49

50.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 €13.28

$13.82 €12.29

8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.71 €21.98

$22.63 €20.13

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$3.04 €2.71

-6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.20 €1.96

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.51 €3.12

5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.65 €6.80

$4.09 €3.64

87.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.99 €1.77

9.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.93 €1.72

27.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.98 €1.76

-2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.90

$0.82 €0.73

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.53

$7.66 €6.81

-4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 €8.81

$8.43 €7.50

17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.48 €1.32

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.87 €1.66

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.39 €3.01

-19.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 €73.0

$56.3 €50.1

45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 €4.39

$5.45 €4.85

-9.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.03

$2.10 €1.87

9.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.49 €39.57

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.08 €1.85

-9.62%

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

$30.0K €26.7K

$30.6K €27.2K

-2.16%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$32.0K €28.5K

2.10%

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

$397 €353

$316 €281

25.75%

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

$14.06 €12.51

$14.53 €12.92

-3.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 €29.38

$32.37 €28.80

2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.90 €36.38

$39.09 €34.77

4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.90 €25.71

$28.05 €24.95

3.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 €13.08

$14.15 €12.59

3.96%

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

$445 €396

$373 €332

19.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.2K €29.5K

$28.0K €24.9K

18.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$89.5 €79.6

26.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 €53.4

$39.52 €35.15

52.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €101

$91.3 €81.2

24.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €124

$135 €120

3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,254

$1,294 €1,151

8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 €1,004

$960 €854

17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,583 €2,297

$2,511 €2,234

2.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 €1,810

$1,560 €1,388

30.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,142 €8,132

$14.7K €13.1K

-37.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 €5,744

$6,033 €5,366

7.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,292 €2,928

$3,519 €3,130

-6.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.41

5.87%

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

Last update for Salzburg: October 20, 2026

Last update for Vienna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salzburg

$1.1K 41.9%

Vienna

$960 41.3% 15% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salzburg

$444 16.5%

Vienna

$363 15.6% 18.4% $81

Groceries & Markets

Salzburg

$434 16.1%

Vienna

$364 15.7% 16.3% $71

Eating Out

Salzburg

$318 11.8%

Vienna

$325 14% 2.1% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Salzburg

$192 7.1%

Vienna

$160 6.9% 16.7% $32

Getting Around

Salzburg

$109 4.1%

Vienna

$86 3.7% 21.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Salzburg

$70 2.6%

Vienna

$67 2.9% 4.2% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,409 in Salzburg versus $1,294 in Vienna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Vienna, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Salzburg versus $90.0 in Vienna. Groceries tell a different story – $434 in Salzburg vs $364 in Vienna – so Vienna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Salzburg

🇦🇹 Vienna

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

Same time as Salzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,083

1,920,949 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Salzburg vs Vienna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salzburg costs about 16% more than Vienna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,046 per month in Salzburg and $3,487 in Vienna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vienna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Vienna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $445 per month in Salzburg and $373 in Vienna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Vienna, where all-in costs run around $2,325, than in Salzburg at $2,698. In Vienna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salzburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vienna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vienna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salzburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.