LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION
Money & Costs
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Vienna is averagely expensive for a European city – cheaper than London, Paris, Zürich or Rome, similar to Munich, more expensive than Prague or Budapest. With the exception of plush ski resorts such as Lech and Kitzbühel, most of the rest of Austria is noticeably cheaper than Vienna, particularly if you’re visiting less-touristed regions. Overall, Britons and Americans will probably find things pretty affordable.
Accommodation will invariably be the most expensive item on your budget. Budget travellers will get away with €16 in a hostel, mid-range with €45 in a hotel or pension (at the low end of the price scale) and top-end travellers, well, the sky’s the limit; add another third to these prices for Vienna. Public transport is not outrageously expensive, but if you’re moving around a lot or taking cable cars in the mountains, it will soon add up. Food and drink is on the cheap side of Western European standards; sticking to breakfast at your hotel or pension, a midday menu at lunch and a meal at night (both with drinks) will set you back around €25. Of course there are savings to be made; a sandwich on the run or eating at food stalls only costs about €3 to €4. Museums and attractions average around €4 to €5 for entry, but some are as high as €10 or as low as €1.
To sum up, staying at a hostel, eating cheap, using public transport, visiting a museum and having a couple of beers at night costs around €45 per day. Using moderately priced hotels or pensions, taking trains between cities, eating out twice a day, going for drinks and visiting a big-ticket attraction will be about €130 per day.
Note that children, students and senior citizens often pay lower prices.
HOW MUCH?
Lederhosen made from wild-pig leather: €275
Achtel at a Heurigen/Buschenshank: €1 to €1.50
Wiener Schnitzel: €8 to €12
Double room in pension from: €45
Single ticket on public transport: €1.50
Litre of gas/petrol: €0.95 to €1
Litre of bottled water from: €0.35
Bottle of Steigl/Ottakring beer in a bar around: €3
Souvenir T-shirt: €15
Kasekrainer: €3 to €3.50
Lonely Planet recommends World Nomads Travel insurance
