Average rent prices in Austria were up six percent in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same time period last year.
However, some prices went up a lot more, with a spike of 19 percent recorded in Braunau am Inn near Salzburg. Villach, Lienz, Lilienfeld and Waidhofen an der Thaya – all saw increases of over 15 percent.
But where can you still expect to shell out the most, according to the Wohnungsboerse annual rent report?
The answers are perhaps not that surprising to people who know Austria well.
The most expensive rental contracts in the country are to be found in Vienna and Innsbruck, with accommodation right in Vienna central costing an average of €24.6 per square metre, while a place in the city of Innsbruck comes in at €21.2 per square metre.
Flats outside of the most central part of Vienna though, fare somewhat better – with average rent in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt, not far from city centre – coming in at €17.9 per square metre, the foreigner-dense Margareten at €15 per square metre and Mödling at €14.5.
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The Alps – still pricey
Outside Vienna’s most central district though, the big money flats are found in the Alps – perhaps not surprisingly. Innsbruck, Kufstein, and Salzburg all have rental contracts that are more expensive – on average – than most districts in the capital.
Flats in the alpine resort area of Kitzbühel are going for €19.8 per square metre – only slightly higher than the average rate of €19.4 for the city of Salzburg.
Bregenz and the surrounding area goes for around €17.7 per square metre, while the outskirts of Innsbruck and Salzburg, as well as Kufstein, offer a somewhat cheaper alternative than the two major city centres – at €16.7, €16.8, and €16.6 per square metre respectively. However, even these rates are some of the most expensive in the country.
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Moderate prices in Austria’s other major cities
Outside of the capital and the Alps, average rent in some of Austria’s other big cities remains relatively affordable by comparison.
Average rent in Villach has seen one of the highest increases in Austria since last year, currently coming in at €14.4 per square metre.
Klagenfurt, Linz, and Graz all remain more affordable by comparison – at €13.4, €13.2, and €12.8 per square metre respectively. At €11.8 and €11.4 per square metre, St. Pölten and Eisenstadt remain Austria’s most affordable major centres on average.
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Austria’s most affordable rent prices
There are still parts of Austria where you can find average rents of below €10 per square metre – particularly in the countryside not far away from large cities. The big exception to that rule is the alpine states of Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. The cheapest district anywhere in those three states is Lienz with an average rent of €12.3 per square metre. It was, however, one of the Austrian districts with the highest increase in rent last year.
Elsewhere in the country through, Sankt Veit an der Glan just north of Klagenfurt has an average rent of just €9 per square metre – as does Rohrbach just northwest of Linz. Finally, Voitsberg – only slightly west of Graz – boasts average rent of €9.6 per square metre.
You’ll find the cheapest rent in Austria in the districts of Güssing and Oberpullendorf, at €7.3 and €7.5 per square metre respectively. Both are located in Burgenland on the Austria-Hungarian border, and are the only two districts in Austria with average rent less than €8 per square metre.
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