The OeAD estimates that a student in Austria spends about EUR 1,300 a month on average, based on the Studierenden-Sozialerhebung 2025. That figure covers everything: rent, food, transport, and a bit of life. The biggest single line is accommodation, at roughly EUR 450 to 700.
So EUR 1,300 is a realistic planning number, not a worst case. But it hides a lot of variation, and the way you split it matters more than the total.
What the EUR 1,300 actually covers
The OeAD breaks the estimate into three blocks. Accommodation is about EUR 450 to 700. Food is about EUR 300, excluding luxuries and tobacco. Studies and personal requirements, mobility, culture, recreation, come to about EUR 500.
| Block | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | EUR 450 to 700 |
| Food (excluding luxuries and tobacco) | about EUR 300 |
| Studies and personal requirements (mobility, culture, recreation) | about EUR 500 |
| Total, average | about EUR 1,300 |
Add those up and you land near the total. Note that the last block is big: EUR 500 is not loose change, it is a month of transport, a few evenings out, books, and whatever else the semester throws at you. It is also the block you can squeeze hardest without touching your rent.
Where you live changes the number
Housing in Vienna and other larger cities costs more than in smaller towns such as Wiener Neustadt. That is the OeAD's own wording, and it is the single biggest lever on your budget. The same EUR 1,300 stretches differently depending on which city you land in.
The practical consequence: a smaller town can bring your rent towards the bottom of the EUR 450 to 700 range, while a big city pushes it towards the top and possibly beyond. If your budget is tight, look at the whole spread of places you could study, not just the obvious ones. Our guide to all universities in Austria lets you compare institutions across the country, and the student accommodation guide explains the kinds of housing you will be choosing between.
What everyday things cost
The OeAD gives a few concrete prices so you can calibrate. Coffee or tea in a café is EUR 3.50. A sandwich at a bakery is EUR 4.50. A dinner in a typical student restaurant is EUR 12. A single city fare is EUR 3.20. A cinema ticket is about EUR 10, and a museum about EUR 14.
- Coffee or tea in a café: EUR 3.50
- Sandwich at a bakery: EUR 4.50
- Dinner in a typical student restaurant: EUR 12
- Single city fare: EUR 3.20
- Cinema ticket: about EUR 10
- Museum entry: about EUR 14
Two things follow from this. First, cooking for yourself is where the EUR 300 food budget comes from; eating out every day will not fit inside it. Second, the culture line in the EUR 500 block goes further than the list prices suggest, because public transport authorities and many museums, cinemas and theatres give student discounts on presentation of the student card. Carry that card and ask.
Costs that sit outside the monthly budget
Your monthly figure is not your only cost. Some things arrive once per semester or once per year, and forgetting them makes the EUR 1,300 look wrong in the first month.
The student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students. At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters, while most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester. Tuition figures of this kind change, and the ones here are as listed in the Austrian national register as of October 2026, so confirm them with your institution before you budget on them.
Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland also need a Residence Permit, Student for a stay of more than six months. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days. The residence authority is the body that decides on permits; your institution decides on admission. Neither decision is ours to make for you.
The other number: what the residence authority expects
Here is the trap. The residence authority uses its own, different minimum for non-EU students: EUR 722.58 a month if you are under 24, and EUR 1,308.39 from 24 in 2026.
Do not confuse that with a living-cost estimate. It is the authority's figure for the permit, and it is not the OeAD's EUR 1,300 average. If you are 24 or over, the two numbers happen to sit close together, which is a useful sanity check on your budget. If you are under 24, the permit minimum is far below the OeAD average, so show the authority what it asks for while planning your life around a realistic monthly figure. Check the current wording at migration.gv.at and oesterreich.gv.at before you apply.
Budgeting advice that follows from the numbers
- Fix your rent first. It is the widest range in the whole estimate. Sort housing before anything else, and compare cities, not just flats.
- Cook most days. EUR 300 for food assumes you do. The bakery sandwich is a treat, not a system.
- Use the student card. Discounts on transport, museums, cinemas and theatres are how the EUR 500 culture and mobility block survives.
- Plan for the semester charges. The ÖH-Beitrag of EUR 26.20, possible tuition, and the EUR 218 permit fee are separate from your monthly spending.
- Check your own institution's numbers. Programmes and fees on this site come from the Austrian national register as of October 2026, and you must confirm them with the institution.
One more planning point. Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally. The OeAD does not handle study applications, and there is no central application portal. So deadlines vary by programme. At public universities the general application deadline for most bachelor's programmes is 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester, but other programmes and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can have different deadlines. Confirm yours directly. Our full cost of living guide goes through the budget in more detail, and the same cost of living pages are the place to start if you want the numbers side by side.
Sources
- OeAD, living costs for students in Austria (based on the Studierenden-Sozialerhebung 2025)
- OeAD, residence permit for students without mobility (2026 minimum figures)
- OeAD, application and admission
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of foreign students (application deadlines)
- oesterreich.gv.at, residence permit, student (fee and decision period)
- Tuition and ÖH-Beitrag figures, as listed in the Austrian national register
- Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), as of October 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to live in Austria as a student per month?
The OeAD estimates about EUR 1,300 a month on average, based on the Studierenden-Sozialerhebung 2025. That covers accommodation at EUR 450 to 700, food at about EUR 300, and about EUR 500 for studies, mobility, culture and recreation. Your own total will depend mostly on where you live.
Is Vienna more expensive than smaller Austrian towns for students?
The OeAD says housing in Vienna and other larger cities costs more than in smaller towns such as Wiener Neustadt. Rent is the widest line in the whole budget, so the town or city you choose moves your monthly total more than anything else you control.
How much money does the residence authority require for a student permit?
For non-EU students the residence authority uses its own minimum: EUR 722.58 a month if you are under 24 and EUR 1,308.39 from 24 in 2026. That is separate from the OeAD living-cost average. The authority decides on permits, so check the current rules at migration.gv.at and oesterreich.gv.at.
What one-off costs should I budget for besides monthly living expenses?
The student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students. Most students at public universities who fall outside the EU/EEA group pay EUR 726.72 per semester in tuition, while EU/EEA students pay none within the standard duration plus two semesters. Non-EU/EEA students also pay a EUR 218 residence permit application fee. Confirm all fees with your institution.