Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Reading Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Reading

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Vienna vs $2,767 in Reading, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,480 per month in Vienna vs $4,019 in Reading, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,707 per month in Vienna vs $5,272 in Reading, rent included.

Vienna is about 19% cheaper than Reading, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Vienna and Reading sit above the global median – Vienna by 69%, Reading by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.40 €15.26

$26.86 £20.08

-35.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 €74.6

$95.4 £71.3

-10.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.31

$10.30 £7.70

14.17%

Cappuccino

$4.98 €4.37

$4.89 £3.66

1.84%

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

$3.58 €3.14

$3.30 £2.47

8.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.73

$2.83 £2.12

9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.14

$8.26 £6.17

-28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.54

$6.97 £5.21

-25.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.40 £1.05

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.45

$1.38 £1.03

102.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.44

$2.77 £2.07

0.36%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.94

$3.58 £2.68

25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.22

$10.10 £7.55

71.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 €13.18

$8.12 £6.07

85.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.67 €21.63

$13.20 £9.86

86.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.66

$3.06 £2.28

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.07

$1.57 £1.18

50.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 €2.94

$2.86 £2.14

17.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 €3.71

$3.26 £2.44

29.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.89

$1.43 £1.07

50.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.43 £1.07

44.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.93 £0.69

112.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.56 £1.17

-39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 €6.53

$20.43 £15.27

-63.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.28

$13.80 £10.32

-39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.29

$2.36 £1.76

-37.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$3.34 £2.50

-41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.50

$2.65 £1.98

7.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.97 €35.04

$85.9 £64.2

-53.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.97

$5.99 £4.48

-24.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.79

$1.74 £1.30

17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.21 €33.50

$14.66 £10.96

160.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.61

$1.86 £1.39

-1.61%

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

$32.2K €28.2K

$38.4K £28.7K

-16.19%

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

$33.6K €29.4K

$41.2K £30.8K

-18.49%

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

$336 €294

$225 £168

49.43%

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

$16.43 €14.40

$19.21 £14.36

-14.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.38 €36.28

$43.52 £32.52

-4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.16 €41.35

$49.12 £36.71

-3.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 €22.23

$19.30 £14.42

31.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 €12.21

$13.85 £10.35

0.58%

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

$323 €284

$1,923 £1,437

-83.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K €20.5K

$25.7K £19.2K

-9.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 €85.7

$82.0 £61.3

19.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 €39.29

$48.33 £36.12

-7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €86.2

$109 £81.6

-9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €139

$97.9 £73.2

61.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 €1,094

$1,786 £1,335

-30.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €772

$1,411 £1,055

-37.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 €2,010

$3,005 £2,246

-23.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,421

$2,368 £1,770

-31.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K €12.5K

$7,149 £5,343

100.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,501 €5,700

$5,628 £4,207

15.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,335 €2,924

$3,502 £2,617

-4.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

5.53

-34.90%

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

Last update for Vienna: July 21, 2026

Last update for Reading: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,247 in Vienna versus $1,786 in Reading. 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 5% higher in Reading, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Vienna versus $95.0 in Reading. Groceries tell a different story – $397 in Vienna vs $292 in Reading – so Reading wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Vienna vs Reading: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reading is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,380 per month in Vienna and $4,150 in Reading. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 36% cheaper in Reading – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Vienna and $95.0 in Reading. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Vienna, where all-in costs run around $2,253, than in Reading at $2,767. In Vienna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reading 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, Reading makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.