Is Vienna Expensive? Real Costs & Budget Guide 2026

Last updated on March 26th, 2026 at 11:07 am

If you are wondering whether Vienna is expensive then read on to find out how it compares to other destinations.

Overall I would say that Vienna provides good quality, and therefore good value. It isn’t cheap and that’s not a bad thing.

Read on for how much everything cost me when I visited Vienna – or just grab a great accommodation deal using the map search below 👇

Is Vienna Expensive? Costs Table for 2 Night Stay

If you are short on time here is quick table giving you all the costs I incurred when visiting Vienna for 3 days and 2 nights

Item	Cost
Flixbus from Bratislava to Vienna	£10
Apartment for 2 nights	£127
2 x Bolt taxi rides £5 each	£10
Sightseeing Bus	£35
Vienna Metro	£4
Breakfast	£12
Spar cafe lunch	£6
Groceries	£20
Easyjet Flight Vienna to Edinburgh	£40
Total Spent	£264

Is Vienna Expensive?

Getting to Vienna

I visited Vienna as part of a 3 stop trip that started in Budapest, then headed to Bratislava and then finished up in Vienna.

I took the bus from Bratislava to Vienna. The bus from Bratislava to Vienna was a Flixbus.

I booked it the day I travelled and it cost £10 for the journey which was 1 hour and 10 minutes.

I then flew home from Vienna to Edinburgh with Easyjet. I booked this several months in advance and the flight was around £40.

You can check flights right here 👇

You can check buses and train here 👇

Is Vienna Expensive?

Staying in Vienna

I found a great place to stay in Vienna. The Best Western Plus Celebrity Suites. I stayed in a studio apartment for 2 nights.

I loved the location of these apartments as they were very close to the Danube river but also within easy reach of the public transport so I could easily get into the city centre.

The studio apartment cost £127 for 2 nights.

You might find my blog post about Where to Stay in Vienna helpful – it has my top picks

Check out my blog post reviewing my stay at the Best Western Plus Celebrity Suites.

You can also do a map search for accommodation in Vienna right here 👇

Is Vienna Expensive?

Activities in Vienna

I used the Bolt app (same idea as Uber) to get around a couple of times in Vienna, including when I got off the train at the wrong station and it was too far to walk.

The taxi journeys were all under £5

My biggest expense was the ticket for the Vienna Hop On and Hop Off Sightseeing Bus. This cost £35 for the day. I rode all the routes available during the day, using it as a way to visit the sights I wanted to see.

The ticket to travel on the Vienna Metro for a day cost £4.

I visited the large shopping mall near the Danube river because I needed to buy some Skechers shoes – my footwear was really hurting me feet. My Skechers arch fit shoes were £37.

You can find lots of activities in Vienna on Get Your Guide 👇

Is Vienna Expensive?

Eating in Vienna

When I first arrived in Vienna centre I hadn’t had anything to eat so I found a great Spar food shop just outside the main station and had a lovely sandwich, hot drink and cake. It was £6 in total.

Having discovered that not much was open on a Sunday night I got some groceries at a local convenience store and made my own food in the apartment. The groceries, which included soft drinks, were £20.

There were plenty of places to eat near where I was staying, with something to suit all budgets.

I did eat a lovely Turkish breakfast on Sunday morning at the Naschmarkt. There were a number of cafes open, which were quite busy. I had a lovely Turkish breakfast. It was cash only and the breakfast was 15 Euros.

Is Vienna Expensive? – Conclusion

I found Vienna to be good value rather than expensive.

Whilst there are plenty of things to do in Vienna that can add up over time there is also a lot of free things to enjoy, such as the parks and even a free waterpark in the summer months.

I thought Vienna was great value for money overall.

You Might Also Like

• Wondering if Vienna is worth visiting – check out my guide
• Check out when the best time to visit Vienna is
• If you’re wondering about safety, check out my guide to Vienna safety
• Confused about getting there? Read How To Get To Vienna
• Here are my handpicked hotels for Vienna
• Visiting the airport? Check out my Vienna Airport Lounge Review
• Looking for things to do – check out the hop on and hop off sightseeing bus
• Thinking of an apartment? Check out my detailed apartment review including video tour

Find more inspiration on my Austria page

Further Reading