Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Reading

For one person, living is cheaper in Vienna: $2,307 a month against $2,763 in Reading, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Vienna
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Vienna Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Reading
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Reading Living Index

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Vienna

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Reading

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vienna and in Reading

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 Reading actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,307 per month in Vienna vs $2,763 in Reading, rent included.

Vienna $2,307
Reading $2,763

A couple spends around $3,489 per month in Vienna vs $4,013 in Reading, rent included.

Vienna $3,489
Reading $4,013

A family of three spends $4,671 per month in Vienna vs $5,264 in Reading, rent included.

Vienna $4,671
Reading $5,264

Vienna is about 16% cheaper than Reading, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vienna and Reading sit above the global median – Vienna by 70%, Reading by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 €17.34

$27.16 £20.29

-28.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.4

$92.3 £68.9

-3.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 €12.08

$10.43 £7.79

29.24%

Cappuccino

$5.32 €4.77

$4.98 £3.72

6.83%

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

$3.73 €3.34

$2.89 £2.16

29.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.84

$2.78 £2.08

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 €5.39

$8.66 £6.47

-30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €5.04

$6.48 £4.84

-13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.49 £1.11

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.75 £1.31

24.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.93 £2.19

-11.95%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.09

$3.73 £2.78

22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €12.27

$11.34 £8.47

20.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 €12.69

$8.52 £6.37

66.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 €20.28

$12.90 £9.64

75.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.98 £2.23

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.47 £1.10

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 €3.22

$2.91 £2.17

23.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 €3.78

$3.21 £2.40

31.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.78

$1.55 £1.16

28.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.40 £1.05

33.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.68

$0.92 £0.69

103.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.81

$1.50 £1.12

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.43 €6.66

$24.01 £17.93

-69.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 €7.56

$13.89 £10.38

-39.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.38

$2.32 £1.74

-34.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.66

$3.08 £2.30

-39.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 €3.13

$3.91 £2.92

-10.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €51.0

$83.8 £62.6

-32.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.90

$6.55 £4.89

-16.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 €1.93

$4.58 £3.42

-53.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.49 €40.76

$13.37 £9.99

240.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.00 £1.49

-1.50%

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

$30.1K €27.0K

$39.3K £29.3K

-23.29%

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

$32.1K €28.8K

$40.6K £30.3K

-20.72%

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

$321 €288

$282 £211

13.82%

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

$14.48 €12.98

$20.55 £15.35

-29.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.90 €28.59

$46.40 £34.66

-31.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.15 €33.29

$44.80 £33.47

-17.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.06 €25.14

$21.12 £15.78

32.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €12.40

$13.18 £9.84

5.01%

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

$397 €355

$1,905 £1,423

-79.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K €25.4K

$29.2K £21.8K

-3.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €79.1

$74.5 £55.7

18.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 €34.72

$67.7 £50.6

-42.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 €83.4

$115 £85.6

-18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$109 £81.1

21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,218

$1,739 £1,299

-21.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 €838

$1,361 £1,017

-31.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,552 €2,286

$2,904 £2,170

-12.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,459

$2,165 £1,617

-24.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K €12.4K

$7,218 £5,392

90.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,310

$5,527 £4,129

7.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,478 €3,116

$3,446 £2,575

0.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.41

-31.80%

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

Last update for Vienna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Reading: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vienna

$935 40.5%

Reading

$1.4K 49.3% 45.6% $426

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vienna

$368 15.9%

Reading

$349 12.6% 5% $18

Groceries & Markets

Vienna

$366 15.9%

Reading

$300 10.9% 18% $66

Eating Out

Vienna

$328 14.2%

Reading

$387 14% 18% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Vienna

$159 6.9%

Reading

$164 6% 3.7% $5.9

Getting Around

Vienna

$87 3.8%

Reading

$129 4.7% 48% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Vienna

$65 2.8%

Reading

$71 2.6% 9.8% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,359 in Vienna versus $1,739 in Reading. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Vienna versus $92 in Reading. Groceries tell a different story – $366 in Vienna vs $300 in Reading – so Reading wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Vienna

🇬🇧 Reading

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

11:39 11:39 AM

1 h behind Vienna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,920,949 Capital

162,666

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vienna Reading 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Vienna
Reading

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

Vienna vs Reading: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reading is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,461 per month in Vienna and $4,144 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,359 there versus $1,739 in Reading.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Reading – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Vienna and $92 in Reading. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.