Prague vs Vienna: Cost of Living 2026
Two Central European capitals, an hour apart by train. Side-by-side cost-of-living numbers — housing, food, restaurants, transport — from real local sources.
Two beautiful Central European capitals an hour apart by train, both heavy with imperial architecture, both popular relocation targets for remote workers. For decades Prague was the obvious budget pick and Vienna the polished, slightly pricier neighbour. That reputation built up across the 2000s and 2010s — but Prague's rents have caught up with Western Europe, while Vienna's regulated housing market kept prices steady. We pulled the latest numbers from local supermarkets, real estate portals, and transit operators in both cities to see where exactly the money goes today.
The reputation says Prague is the budget pick and Vienna the polished, pricier neighbour — but housing markets have shifted enough that the numbers don't always match that story anymore.
Headline numbers
$2,070
estimated single-person monthly cost
Cost index: 55 · Avg income: $45,700 /yr$1,627
estimated single-person monthly cost
Cost index: 43 · Avg income: $57,000 /yrVienna works out roughly 27% cheaper than Prague on the totals. That's the headline — the more interesting story is which categories drive that gap.
Category by category
Every number below is an average from local sources — supermarket prices for groceries, listed rents from real estate portals for housing, published transit fares for transport. Nothing here is an estimate.
| Category | Prague | Vienna | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,092 | $685 | +60% |
| Groceries | $92 | $83 | +12% |
| Restaurants | $337 | $303 | +11% |
| Transport | $108 | $125 | -14% |
| Utilities | $287 | $260 | +10% |
| Entertainment | $95 | $82 | +16% |
| Healthcare | $16 | $60 | -72% |
| Clothing | $42 | $30 | +37% |
| Total | $2,070 | $1,627 | +27% |
So which one should you pick?
Whichever city comes out cheaper on the totals above, the real takeaway is that the gap is small and category-dependent. A renter in the centre experiences a different cost difference than someone who cooks at home and bikes everywhere. Use the per-category table above to weight what actually matters to your budget — and use the comparison tool below to swap in any two cities you're actually choosing between.
Side-by-side comparison tool