Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Austria

For one person, living is cheaper in Austria: $2,242 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United Kingdom outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

United Kingdom
Austria
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,242
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Austria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in the United Kingdom versus $2,242 in Austria.

  • United Kingdom $2,462
  • Austria $2,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,600 in the United Kingdom versus $3,363 in Austria.

  • United Kingdom $3,600
  • Austria $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,738 in the United Kingdom versus $4,484 in Austria.

  • United Kingdom $4,738
  • Austria $4,484

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $1,363–$2,695 in Austria. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 10% more expensive than in Austria on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United Kingdom 81% above, Austria 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48 £16.04
$17.71 €15.86
21.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7 £64.0
$77.0 €69.0
11.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.61 £7.92
$13.66 €12.23
-22.33%
Cappuccino
$4.91 £3.67
$4.52 €4.05
8.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 £1.99
$3.73 €3.34
-28.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.39
$2.95 €2.64
-36.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.63 £4.95
$5.50 €4.93
20.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 £5.11
$5.61 €5.02
21.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.25
$1.74 €1.55
-3.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.28
$2.63 €2.36
-34.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 £1.62
$2.33 €2.08
-6.87%
Eggs
$4.00 £2.99
$4.74 €4.24
-15.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 £7.03
$18.99 €17.01
-50.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 £6.86
$14.15 €12.67
-35.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.77 £11.03
$22.18 €19.86
-33.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 £2.21
$2.84 €2.54
4.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$2.37 €2.13
-31.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.13
$3.14 €2.82
-9.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.52 £2.63
$4.15 €3.72
-15.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 £1.37
$2.17 €1.94
-15.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 £1.20
$2.17 €1.94
-25.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.93
$1.95 €1.75
-35.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.24
$0.92 €0.83
80.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65 £17.66
$7.67 €6.87
208.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 £7.84
$8.93 €8.00
17.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.23
$1.45 €1.30
105.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 £2.62
$1.95 €1.74
80.00%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £2.97
$3.45 €3.09
15.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 £80.2
$61.5 €55.1
74.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.87
$5.54 €4.96
-6.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.35 £1.75
$2.47 €2.21
-4.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.84 £20.04
$38.48 €34.47
-30.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.48
$1.89 €1.69
5.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K £29.5K
$30.4K €27.2K
29.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.2K
$31.6K €28.3K
28.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 £244
$348 €312
-6.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21 £13.60
$15.29 €13.69
19.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60 £32.56
$34.39 €30.80
26.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.36 £31.63
$41.15 €36.86
2.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22 £13.60
$25.02 €22.41
-27.18%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85 £10.34
$13.73 €12.30
0.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,868 £1,395
$438 €392
326.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K £16.9K
$16.8K €15.0K
34.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9 £69.4
$97.0 €86.9
-4.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92 £34.29
$43.31 €38.79
6.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £75.9
$104 €93.3
-2.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £76.3
$130 €116
-21.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 £1,002
$1,007 €902
33.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,073 £801
$824 €738
30.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,231 £1,666
$1,828 €1,637
22.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,742 £1,301
$1,435 €1,286
21.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,601 £4,182
$7,398 €6,626
-24.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,265 £3,185
$4,695 €4,205
-9.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Austria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,349 £2,501
$3,083 €2,761
8.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
3.52
51.14%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austria: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K
Austria
$824 23.2% $249
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389
Austria
$398 2.3% $9
Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328
Austria
$302 7.7% $25
Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307
Austria
$387 25.8% $79
Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154
Austria
$168 9.2% $14
Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140
Austria
$93 33.5% $47
Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70
Austria
$69 2.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,287 in the United Kingdom, $1,011 in Austria. Capital cities: $2,811 in London vs $1,359 in Vienna.

National salary averages: $3,251 in the United Kingdom, $2,850 in Austria. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 11% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 14% higher in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇦🇹 Austria
🕒 Local time
03:56 3:56 AM
04:56 4:56 AM
1 h ahead of the United Kingdom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,326,569
8,979,894
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • United Kingdom Austria 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United Kingdom
  • Austria

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
United Kingdom vs Austria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Austria and the United Kingdom?
At $2,242 per month in Austria and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, Austria comes out about 9% 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 $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $1,011 in Austria. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Austria or in the United Kingdom?
In Austria, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Austria or to the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: Austria wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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