Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Linz

For one person, living is cheaper in Linz: $2,081 a month against $2,315 in Vienna, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vienna outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Vienna
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,315
/mo nomad
Linz
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,081
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vienna and in Linz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,315 in Vienna versus $2,081 in Linz.

  • Vienna $2,315
  • Linz $2,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,432 in Vienna versus $3,238 in Linz.

  • Vienna $3,432
  • Linz $3,238

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,549 in Vienna versus $4,396 in Linz.

  • Vienna $4,549
  • Linz $4,396

Living in Vienna is roughly 11% more expensive than in Linz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vienna 71% above, Linz 54% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.32 €17.18
$16.47 €14.65
17.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.3 €80.3
$76.7 €68.3
17.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.64 €12.13
$12.71 €11.30
7.32%
Cappuccino
$5.15 €4.58
$4.61 €4.10
11.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.81 €3.39
$3.84 €3.42
-0.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 €2.89
$2.77 €2.46
16.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.08 €5.41
$6.20 €5.51
-1.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.10
$5.62 €5.00
2.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 €1.38
$1.54 €1.37
1.30%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.65 €2.35
-20.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$1.72 €1.53
52.33%
Eggs
$4.63 €4.11
$4.59 €4.09
0.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.02 €12.47
$19.28 €17.15
-27.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.78 €12.26
$13.99 €12.45
-1.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.77 €20.25
$21.02 €18.70
8.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 €2.66
$2.78 €2.47
7.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.24 €1.99
$2.28 €2.02
-1.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.62 €3.22
$3.33 €2.96
8.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 €3.70
$5.43 €4.83
-23.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.26 €2.01
-11.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.37 €2.11
-21.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.96 €1.75
-1.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.77
$0.90 €0.80
-3.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.41 €6.59
$6.82 €6.07
8.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.59 €7.64
$6.49 €5.78
32.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.37
$1.61 €1.43
-3.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.68 €1.49
11.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Vienna
Linz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$3.31 €2.94
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.9 €51.5
$65.9 €58.6
-12.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 €4.83
$7.30 €6.49
-25.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.14 €1.01
89.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.43 €39.52
$27.81 €24.73
59.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.84 €1.64
12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K €26.0K
$29.7K €26.4K
-1.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.4K €26.2K
$28.8K €25.6K
2.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$322 €287
$296 €263
9.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.36 €12.77
$14.63 €13.01
-1.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.56 €29.85
$39.08 €34.76
-14.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.08 €33.87
$50.3 €44.74
-24.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.96 €24.87
$22.46 €19.98
24.49%
Cinema Ticket
$14.77 €13.13
$13.86 €12.32
6.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$368 €328
$449 €400
-18.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.8K €24.7K
$13.9K €12.3K
100.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 €78.1
$98.7 €87.8
-11.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.42 €35.07
$40.18 €35.74
-1.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 €81.4
$129 €115
-29.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €121
$124 €110
9.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vienna
Linz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,269 €1,129
$821 €731
54.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$938 €835
$711 €632
31.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,450 €2,179
$1,506 €1,339
62.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,493 €1,328
$1,397 €1,242
6.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.3K €12.7K
$5,430 €4,830
163.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,061 €5,391
$3,464 €3,081
74.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vienna
Linz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,502 €3,115
$2,804 €2,494
24.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
3.66
-6.83%

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

Last update for Vienna: October 10, 2026

Last update for Linz: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vienna
$938
Linz
$711 24.2% $227
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vienna
$370
Linz
$349 5.7% $21
Groceries & Markets
Vienna
$365
Linz
$381 4.3% $16
Eating Out
Vienna
$327
Linz
$294 10.2% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Vienna
$159
Linz
$176 10.6% $17
Getting Around
Vienna
$87
Linz
$92 5.4% $4.7
Sport & Entertainment
Vienna
$68
Linz
$78 15.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Vienna and $821 in Linz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vienna pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Vienna vs $77.0 in Linz. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $381, with Vienna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇹 Vienna
🇦🇹 Linz
🕒 Local time
21:00 9:00 PM
21:00 9:00 PM
Same time as Vienna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,920,949 Capital
207,812
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Vienna vs Linz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Linz cheaper than Vienna?
Linz is cheaper overall, especially in eating out. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Vienna or Linz?
Average pay runs 25% higher in Vienna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Vienna and Linz?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,269 in Vienna versus $821 in Linz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Vienna and in Linz?
All in, you'll spend $2,315 per month in Vienna versus $2,081 in Linz – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Linz runs roughly 14% less than in Vienna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Vienna or in Linz?
At $2,081 in Linz versus $2,315 in Vienna, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Linz but tight or insufficient in Vienna. The gap between the two cities makes Linz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Vienna or in Linz?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Vienna or Linz?
Safety-wise, Vienna and Linz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Linz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Vienna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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