Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Ulm

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulm: $2,140 a month against $2,315 in Vienna, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index

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Vienna

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,315

/mo nomad

Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vienna and in Ulm

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

A single person spends $2,315 per month in Vienna vs $2,140 in Ulm, rent included.

Vienna $2,315
Ulm $2,140

A couple spends around $3,432 per month in Vienna vs $3,245 in Ulm, rent included.

Vienna $3,432
Ulm $3,245

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Vienna vs $4,350 in Ulm, rent included.

Vienna $4,549
Ulm $4,350

Vienna costs about 8% more than Ulm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vienna and Ulm sit above the global median – Vienna by 71%, Ulm by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 €17.18

$16.80 €14.94

15.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 €80.3

$66.6 €59.2

35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.13

$13.31 €11.84

2.48%

Cappuccino

$5.15 €4.58

$3.84 €3.42

34.11%

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

$3.81 €3.39

$4.64 €4.13

-17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.89

$1.92 €1.71

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 €5.41

$4.62 €4.11

31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.10

$4.41 €3.92

30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.38

$1.47 €1.30

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.05 €1.83

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$4.14 €3.68

-36.71%

Eggs

$4.63 €4.11

$3.64 €3.24

27.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 €12.47

$14.34 €12.76

-2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.78 €12.26

$9.83 €8.74

40.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$25.54 €22.72

-10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.44 €3.06

-13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.21 €1.96

1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 €3.22

$1.92 €1.71

88.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 €3.70

$3.91 €3.48

6.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.08 €0.96

84.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.12 €1.00

65.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.66 €1.48

16.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$1.20 €1.06

-27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 €6.59

$9.59 €8.53

-22.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 €7.64

$5.67 €5.04

51.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.37

$1.15 €1.02

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.52 €1.35

23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$3.10 €2.76

6.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.9 €51.5

$64.4 €57.3

-10.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.83

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.43 €39.52

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.13 €1.89

-2.82%

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

$29.3K €26.0K

$32.2K €28.6K

-9.10%

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

$29.4K €26.2K

$37.9K €33.7K

-22.27%

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

$322 €287

$377 €336

-14.55%

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

$14.36 €12.77

$34.04 €30.28

-57.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.56 €29.85

$52.9 €47.05

-36.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.08 €33.87

$33.61 €29.89

13.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.96 €24.87

$22.70 €20.19

23.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.13

$13.44 €11.95

9.90%

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

$368 €328

$441 €393

-16.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K €24.7K

$13.0K €11.6K

113.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$90.3 €80.3

-2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.42 €35.07

$55.2 €49.08

-28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €81.4

$89.4 €79.6

2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$148 €131

-8.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 €1,129

$931 €828

36.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €835

$749 €666

25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 €2,179

$1,830 €1,628

33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 €1,328

$1,471 €1,308

1.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K €12.7K

$5,901 €5,249

142.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,061 €5,391

$3,961 €3,524

53.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,502 €3,115

$3,737 €3,324

-6.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.41

3.97

-14.11%

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

Last update for Vienna: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ulm: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vienna

$938 40.5%

Ulm

$749 35% 20.2% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vienna

$370 16%

Ulm

$464 21.7% 25.4% $94

Groceries & Markets

Vienna

$365 15.8%

Ulm

$339 15.9% 7% $26

Eating Out

Vienna

$327 14.1%

Ulm

$279 13% 14.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Vienna

$159 6.9%

Ulm

$172 8% 8% $13

Getting Around

Vienna

$87 3.8%

Ulm

$77 * 3.6% 12.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Vienna

$68 2.9%

Ulm

$60 2.8% 10.5% $7.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,269 in Vienna versus $931 in Ulm. 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 Ulm, 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 $90.0 in Vienna versus $67.0 in Ulm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $339 – making Ulm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Vienna

🇩🇪 Ulm

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

Same time as Vienna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,920,949 Capital

121,648

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vienna Ulm 470 km

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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

Vienna vs Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vienna is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,473 per month in Vienna and $3,211 in Ulm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $368 per month in Vienna and $441 in Ulm. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Vienna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulm, where all-in costs run around $2,140, than in Vienna at $2,315. In Ulm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vienna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulm – 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 Ulm. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vienna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.