Here’s How Much I Spent on a 3-Night Trip to Vienna (Flights, Hotel, Spending Money, Etc.)

I didn’t actually have the idea to write this, but it popped into my head while I was in Vienna. So yeah, I guess I’m going to write it. 

One day, when randomly browsing Skyscanner, I found flights to Vienna and decided to go on a spontaneous solo trip. I had already visited the Austrian capital before, and to be honest, I was looking for an excuse to go back. Everything lined up perfectly for a summer adventure, and I decided to just go for it. 

A month later, I was on a plane from Copenhagen to Vienna. Since I was visiting in the peak tourist season, I was curious to know how much money I would realistically spend in the city. I already live in a very expensive place, which is even more pricey to visit. I was wondering how much Vienna would eat into my budget, in comparison.

Today, I will break down how much *everything* cost. By that, I mean my flights, accommodation, and what I spent while I was in the Austrian capital. I will also point out those hidden costs that you don’t always think about, such as transport to and from the airport (and food while you’re there). 

Some Useful Context for This Particular Vienna Trip

For the three-night stay I’m talking about today, I went to Vienna in July. This is one of the most popular times to visit the city. Accommodation was more expensive than when I visited in the off-season, and that was the biggest differentiator in my overall budget. 

Flights were actually quite reasonable. I didn’t know that my backpack was too big before boarding, as I thought it counted as a personal item. The tickets were about the same as what I’ve paid in the past, but flights in the weeks before and after I went were much pricier when I looked. 

In terms of spending habits, I’m somewhere in the middle. I am not materialistic by any means, but I’m also not super frugal. I will pay for experiences that I think are worthwhile, and while I tend not to eat at fancy restaurants, I do like to try new food. 

One thing that I definitely should mention is that I normally eat two meals a day. I will sometimes eat lunch when I’m traveling with someone else, but I generally like to have a big breakfast and a big dinner. It means that I can spend more time exploring, and my energy levels are generally better. This is what works for me, though, and I’m not saying that you should copy me. If you normally eat three meals a day, I suggest budgeting more. 

While I stayed for three nights in Vienna, I arrived in the evening and left in the middle of the day. If I had a morning flight into the city and an evening flight back home, I naturally would have spent more money on food in particular. 

I also bought the Vienna City Card, which meant that I didn’t—with the exception of the train to and from the airport—need to spend money on public transport. It gave me discounts on most attractions I went to, as well. I actually wrote a full review of my experiences, because I have mixed feelings about whether it’s worth buying. 

All of the prices listed in this article are in EUR. Exchange rates tend to fluctuate between said currency and the USD, GBP, and so on. For this reason, I recommend doing currency conversions; Xe is pretty handy for this.

Also, I visited Vienna on my own. If I were traveling with my girlfriend, family, or friends, I would probably have spent more. I know this because I have visited with others in the past, and that was precisely what happened. 

A Full Breakdown of How Much I Spent During 3 Nights in Vienna

Now that I’ve provided some extra context, I’ll go into more detail about everything I spent on my summer trip to Austria’s capital city. 

Hotel: €352.35

My hotel for this trip was Superbude Wien Prater, which I had wanted to stay at for a while. Even though it’s away from the Ringstraße and many attractions in Vienna, getting into the city center is very easy with public transport. 

I got quite a good deal here, and it was one of the least expensive mid-range options I found when looking for a place to stay. I booked the hotel with free cancellation, as I wanted to keep my options open, so it cost more than if I paid upfront. Moreover, I ordered a room with breakfast included. 

For what it’s worth, I thought the hotel was good value for money. The breakfast was decent, and I also had a very good sleep. There were some minor annoyances, such as the shower drainage, but it was overall a solid deal. 

I would probably have paid less if I went outside the main tourist season, but the price was good all things considered. Besides summer, accommodation in Vienna (and Austria in general) is pricey during December when the Christmas Markets are up. At these times, booking in advance is a good idea. 

Even though Superbude Wien Prater has a bar and café, I didn’t buy anything extra from these. This price includes both breakfast and taxes. 

Return Flights From Copenhagen to Vienna: €106 (Excluding Baggage)

I flew to Vienna with Austrian Airlines, and the price for my flights was also reasonable. I didn’t book the cheapest option because unless I have no other option, I refuse to book a flight that leaves before 08:00. 

Instead, I booked an evening flight. My thinking was that if England got to the World Cup final, I could still get some sleep before traveling (I grew up in London, so yeah). We didn’t get to the final, but we don’t need to talk about that. 🥲

In terms of transport to and from Copenhagen Airport, I paid 59.50 DKK (29.75 each way). I get discounted tickets in the DSB app. The total translates to €7.96 in EUR. 

How much you pay to get to the airport will depend on where you live. It’ll also depend on the time of your flight. If you book one of those budget flights that leaves first thing in the morning from somewhere far away, you might need to add taxi or accommodation costs. 

For what it’s worth, I also had some sandwiches at Copenhagen Airport. This cost me 99 DKK (€13.24). If I had a proper meal, I would easily have spent more. 

Attractions and Transport: €129

As I mentioned earlier, I bought the Vienna Card for 72 hours. It cost me €37. This meant that I had a discount on multiple attractions in the city, though I have to say that I didn’t save a huge amount when I added everything up. 

I bought my tickets for the train to and from the airport just before boarding from the station ticket machines. After that, I received a paper ticket. For all of the attractions, I purchased my tickets from the ticket offices and showed them my Vienna City Card. 

Your budget on attractions could differ significantly from mine. I enjoy visiting museums and galleries, but since I didn’t have so long on this trip, I also balanced this with other activities. Attractions in Vienna are quite pricey, and this can add up fast. 

If you’re planning to visit multiple attractions in the city, I actually recommend getting the Vienna PASS if you can justify the price. Rather than discounts, you’ll get free entry. It doesn’t include any of Stephansdom, but most other attractions are covered.

As I mentioned before, I would probably have spent more on entry fees if I had four full days in Vienna. I could easily have spent less on Stephansdom; the all-in-one ticket is fine if you actually plan to visit the church’s interior and the catacombs, but I personally would have been happy just visiting the two towers. Even if that would’ve required carrying some physical cash, as these are cash-only. 

Meals: €78.28 (Including Tips)

For my meal at Hollerei, I got a 20% discount with the Vienna City Card. Again, I would have spent more on food if I was eating three meals per day. If I didn’t get a starter and dessert, I think that my meals would’ve cost around €15-20 for a main course and drink. I didn’t drink alcohol on this trip, either. 

I Could Have Spent More if I Wanted To, and You Probably Will

Besides the fact that I had been to Vienna already before this trip, I also know that I’ll visit many more times in the future. As a result, I was happy to skip some experiences for a time when I felt like they would be better. 

My spending was inevitably lower as a result. If you’re in Vienna for the first time, and you know this will likely be the only time you visit, you’ll probably want to experience even more. For example, you will probably want to visit at least some of the city’s many great cafés. 

I also didn’t spend any money on souvenirs, but I have done so in the past. Moreover, you might want to spend some cash on snacks and food from sausage stands. The Naschmarkt food market is—while now a bit touristy—also fun. 

Was There Anything I Wish I Had Spent Money On, in Hindsight?

Now that I look back, I definitely would have liked to visit a couple of attractions that I didn’t get to on this occasion. For example, I’ve been to the Donau Tower before; the view from the top is great, in my opinion, and I would happily have gone there again. Always next time, though, I guess. 😄

I also didn’t have the chance to visit some museums and galleries I would have wanted to. For example, I’d love to go to Albertina and the Jewish Museum. Again, I will visit these on future trips. 

Although I’ve tried many bakeries and cafés in Vienna, I’m not even close to having tried them all. So, I would happily—in hindsight—have allocated some more time and money to these. 

… and How About Things I Regret?

“Regret” is a strong word, and I wouldn’t really say that I regret anything from this particular trip to Vienna. I did, however, feel disappointed when I bought admission for Lower Belvedere. It’s not particularly big, and I felt like it was underwhelming. I would have switched it out for a different museum in hindsight.

I also don’t know that I would buy the Vienna City Card again. I like the idea, and I can see how it would be useful for some travelers. However, the savings I made were marginal. I guess it still did its job, though, in that respect. Next time, I will probably just buy the Vienna PASS, though. 

Otherwise, I was pretty happy with how I spent my money in Vienna. I really enjoyed this trip, and most of the things I did were worthwhile. 

Do I Think It’s Possible to Visit Vienna on a Tighter Budget?

Even though I didn’t spend a huge amount of money in Vienna, I absolutely think it’s possible to visit and spend less than I did. 

Vienna has plenty of fun things to do, and not all of them require you to spend money. For example, you can visit the main garden at Belvedere Palace without needing to pay admission. Similarly, it costs nothing to simply stroll and enjoy the city’s architecture. 

As for accommodation, you can find budget options in Vienna. For example, I stayed at the Wombat’s Hostel Naschmarkt on my first trip in 2018. It’s comfortable, right next to the famous food market, and—in my opinion—a good place to meet people. 

You’ll also find free events throughout the year. For example, Donauinselfest is a huge open-air music concert that takes place in the summer. When I went there on my first trip, Portugal. The Man was one of the bands I could watch for a grand total of €0. For this particular three-night stay that I’ve talked about in this article, there was also a free film festival next to the City Hall. 

You can also find a cheap meal in Vienna without much difficulty; the city has plenty of sausage stands that are open until late. I also don’t think that meals are too expensive anyway if you just get a main. Some foods, like Schnitzel, can also be very affordable if you get them outside the city center.

 Grocery prices are reasonable in general, too, so you can buy your own ingredients and cook if you have access to a kitchen. Hofer (which you might know as Aldi elsewhere) is affordable, and you’ll find PENNY and Lidl supermarkets throughout the city. 

For What It’s Worth, I Hardly Needed to Use Physical Cash in Vienna

I have traveled in Austria and nearby Germany numerous times, and compared to where I live, physical cash is much more prevalent. I’d say that this is more so in Germany than Austria from my personal experiences, though both countries definitely accept card payments more than when I first visited. 

On this trip to Vienna, I barely needed to use physical cash. The only place I would’ve had to was for Stephansdom if I chose to only visit the towers. Some smaller establishments don’t accept card payments, but I didn’t go to these, so it wasn’t a problem. 

Also a Useful Tip: Always Pay in the Local Currency

I sometimes got the option to pay in EUR or DKK when in Vienna, and I was once told by someone that you should always pay in the local currency. You’ll get a better exchange rate if you do, and that’s precisely what I recommend when you visit. This tip goes for everywhere, not just in the Austrian capital. 

How Much Money Do I Recommend Budgeting for a Trip to Vienna?

It really depends on your needs and travel preferences. Your flights will depend on where you’re visiting from; if you’re from outside Europe, you will naturally need to budget more than I did. 

As for hotels, I’d say that €80 to €120 per night is reasonable to expect for mid-range hotels for most of the year. You can definitely find accommodation for less if you’re willing to look and be more flexible, though. I’d actually say that from experience, Christmas in Vienna is more expensive than summer; your budget should therefore be bigger if you’re visiting at that time. 

In terms of Austria, by the way, I’d say that hotels in Vienna generally cost less than in Salzburg. I also think that Vienna has more budget and mid-range options. This makes sense, though, since it’s a bigger city and also caters to a broader range of visitors. 

For daily spending money, I think that €100 to 150 per day is more than enough for most people. You can definitely get away with less, though. If you plan to also take multiple pub breaks and buy souvenirs, you should consider budgeting more than this. 

A Better Idea of How Much Money You Should Budget for a Trip to Vienna

Budgeting for a trip is always difficult if you’ve never visited the place before, and personally, I’ve always found it helpful when I get an idea of what people actually spend from their own visits. It’s easy to go on a random site and make blanket suggestions, but you never know how much you’ll spend unless you actually go there. This is precisely why I put together this guide for you. 

Vienna can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. Most things when you arrive are reasonably priced, and I definitely could have spent more if I wanted to. At the same time, I think that I could’ve done other experiences and either spent roughly the same or even less. 

Now that you’ve read this article, you should hopefully have a better idea of how much you should expect to spend in Vienna. You can check out the rest of my guides to the Austrian capital if you want to plan your trip further.