Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Wels

For one person, living is cheaper in Wels: $1,902 a month against $2,307 in Vienna, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Wels
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Wels Living Index

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Vienna

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Wels

🇦🇹 Austria

$1,902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vienna and in Wels

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,307 in Vienna versus $1,902 in Wels.

Vienna $2,307
Wels $1,902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Vienna versus $2,820 in Wels.

Vienna $3,489
Wels $2,820

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,671 in Vienna versus $3,737 in Wels.

Vienna $4,671
Wels $3,737

Living in Vienna is roughly 21% more expensive than in Wels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vienna 70% above, Wels 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 €17.34

$16.69 €14.96

15.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.4

$83.9 €75.2

5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 €12.08

$11.12 €9.96

21.22%

Cappuccino

$5.32 €4.77

$4.23 €3.79

25.77%

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

$3.73 €3.34

$3.51 €3.15

6.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.84

$2.89 €2.59

9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 €5.39

$5.75 €5.16

4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €5.04

$5.60 €5.02

0.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.60 €1.43

1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.41 €2.16

-9.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$1.77 €1.59

45.76%

Eggs

$4.57 €4.09

$3.76 €3.37

21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €12.27

$21.66 €19.41

-36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 €12.69

$13.03 €11.67

8.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 €20.28

$21.33 €19.12

6.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.89 €2.59

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.82 €1.63

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 €3.22

$2.81 €2.52

27.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 €3.78

$2.85 €2.55

48.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.51 €2.25

-20.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.63 €1.46

14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.68

$2.26 €2.03

-17.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.81

$0.77 €0.69

16.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.43 €6.66

$7.39 €6.62

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 €7.56

$9.11 €8.16

-7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.38

$0.81 €0.73

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.23 €2.00

-17.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 €3.13

$2.74 €2.45

27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €51.0

$38.17 €34.20

49.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.90

$5.69 €5.10

-3.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.38 €2.13

-9.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.49 €40.76

$31.52 €28.25

44.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.86 €1.67

5.91%

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

$30.1K €27.0K

$30.2K €27.0K

-0.16%

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

$32.1K €28.8K

$29.8K €26.7K

7.78%

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

$321 €288

$333 €298

-3.43%

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

$14.48 €12.98

$13.86 €12.42

4.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.90 €28.59

$38.47 €34.48

-17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.15 €33.29

$44.07 €39.49

-15.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.06 €25.14

$34.03 €30.49

-17.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €12.40

$13.46 €12.06

2.82%

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

$397 €355

$1,342 €1,202

-70.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K €25.4K

$15.3K €13.7K

85.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €79.1

$83.7 €75.0

5.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 €34.72

$58.5 €52.4

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 €83.4

$111 €99.1

-15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$128 €115

3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,218

$674 €604

101.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 €838

$562 €504

66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,552 €2,286

$958 €858

166.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,459

$798 €715

104.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K €12.4K

$4,193 €3,757

228.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,925 €5,310

$3,426 €3,070

72.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,478 €3,116

$3,121 €2,796

11.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.41

3.5

-2.57%

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

Last update for Vienna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wels: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vienna

$935 40.5%

Wels

$562 29.5% 39.9% $373

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vienna

$368 15.9%

Wels

$385 20.3% 4.7% $17

Groceries & Markets

Vienna

$366 15.9%

Wels

$363 19.1% 0.9% $3.3

Eating Out

Vienna

$328 14.2%

Wels

$283 14.9% 13.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Vienna

$159 6.9%

Wels

$171 9% 8% $13

Getting Around

Vienna

$87 3.8%

Wels

$67 3.5% 23.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Vienna

$65 2.8%

Wels

$71 3.7% 9.5% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,359 in Vienna and $674 in Wels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vienna pays 11% 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: $89 in Vienna vs $84 in Wels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $363 per month, with Wels cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Vienna

🇦🇹 Wels

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

Same time as Vienna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,920,949 Capital

59,853

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Wels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,307 in Vienna and $1,902 in Wels, so Wels is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Vienna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,359 in Vienna versus $674 in Wels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Wels runs roughly 33% less than in Vienna. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,307 per month in Vienna versus $1,902 in Wels – Wels is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Wels gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Vienna and Wels are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Wels wins on affordability, Vienna on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.