As the capital city of one of the world’s richest nations, you might expect Vienna to be expensive. But it’s not when compared to the likes of London and usually slots into the EU at just above average, price-wise.
For guidance, here are some *rough* prices as of late October, 2024 for food, drink, transport, and entertainment. Changes possible, of course, especially in the current times (don’t get me started on my grocery bill).
- Compare prices for classical concert experiences* in Vienna
- See also:
Food & drink
(Coffee: the national drink. Prices can vary considerably depending where you are)
Warning: these are “normal” Viennese prices – expect to pay more in tourist or city centre areas. In the very central traditional coffee houses, for example, a cappuccino can easily exceed your average yearly mortgage repayment (not really, but over €6 is not unusual).
- Coffee:
- A single espresso (German: kleiner Schwarzer): €2.80
- A cappuccino: €4.50
Tip: Look for breakfast options in coffee houses that include a hot beverage. These combos can work out really quite cheap compared to buying everything separately.
- Beer and wine:
- A beer (half litre) in a bar: €4.90 (though I recently paid €6.90 for one in a well-known location in the centre)
- A 500ml tin of beer in a supermarket: €1.15 to €1.59 (for the popular Austrian brands)
- You can get drinkable wine in a supermarket for under €5 a bottle and very decent wine for €5-€7 a bottle
- Other drinks:
- 1.5 ltr bottle of mineral water in a supermarket: €0.35 to €0.95 for standard local brands
- 330ml can of coke in a supermarket: €1.25
Tip: the tap water is rather good in Vienna, since most of the city’s water supplies come direct from the Alps. The city also has numerous drinking / refill stations dotted around the place.
- Food:
A couple of further tips:
- Food and drink is quite inexpensive in supermarkets, especially the discounters like Hofer (the Austrian version of Aldi), Lidl or PENNY Markt
- Many tourist places sell marzipan balls (Mozartkugeln) and Mozart-themed marzipan chocolate as souvenirs. You can get more or less the exact same thing much (much) cheaper in the conventional supermarkets
- Schnitzel is a useful menu item for comparing prices between restaurants, since nearly every place offers them. Just be sure you’re comparing like with like, since veal schnitzel (the traditional original option) costs significantly more than pork schnitzel or turkey schnitzel (the far more common options)
- A lot of restaurants offer inexpensive fixed-menu options, particularly at lunchtimes
Travel
(Public transport is relatively inexpensive)
- Road:
- Taxi transfer from airport to city: from around €42
- Petrol/gasoline: at the time of writing, petrol prices at the cheapest locations are around €1.53/ltr for Super (standard lead-free), but expect significant fluctuations, of course
- Compare car hire prices here*
- Public transport:
- 24-hour travel card for Vienna: €8
- 7-day travel pass for Vienna: €19.70 (personalised) or €22.60 (valid for the bearer)
- Return ticket to/from the airport on a dedicated non-stop express train: €24.90
- Return trip to/from the airport on a standard S-Bahn train: around €9
- Sightseeing bus:
- Basic 24-hour ticket: from around €37
Tip: the city transport system is fantastic: fast, frequent, clean and inexpensive…especially if you get one of the network passes.
So consider…
- The Vienna Pass: one-time free entry to numerous attractions plus the option to add public transport travel for 24, 48 or 72 hours to physical versions of the pass
- The Vienna City Card or Vienna Welcome Card: both are tourist passes offering discounts and a built-in public transport network pass
Entertainment
(The Albertina is one of the more popular tourist destinations)
- Standard adult entrance ticket to the…
- Zoo: €27 (kids aged 6 to 18 are €15.50)
- Kunsthistorisches Museum: €21
- Albertina art museum and staterooms: €19.90
- Self-guided grand tour of Schönbrunn Palace: €32 (the cheapest self-guided option is €22)
- Ride on the famous Giant Ferris Wheel: €14
Tip: if you intend to visit a lot of tourist attractions, then consider a sightseeing pass or look for discounted bundle tickets* for Vienna.
- Movie theater tickets at an English-language cinema start at around €8.90 to €10.90 (with surcharges for 3D etc.)
- Theater/opera ticket prices begin as low as the cost of a cup of coffee if you stand, even in the most prestigious locations like the State Opera House. The best seats can cost anything from €50 to €200+
- Classical concerts: price start from around €30 for an evening concert and can rise to four figures for the best seats at the New Year’s concert!