Cost of Living

As well as being in the centre of Europe, Austria is also in the middle range in terms of prices.
Since joining the European Union, basic food costs have increased in line with those in the rest of the European Union. The products available in Austria originate from all over Europe.

Shopping
Austria is not a particularly cheap tourist destination in terms of Europe, however visitors do find it a great place to shop and eat.

Eating out
Food and drink is available in all price categories. There are numerous inexpensive pubs serving good local and international dishes. Main meals cost on average between EUR 5-7. Beverages cost between EUR 1-3. Of course, you will also find upmarket restaurants in the higher price brackets (especially in the inner cities). Here you have to budget for between EUR 11-18 for a main meal. A good bottle of wine costs upwards of EUR 10.

Supermarkets
It goes without saying that food and drink is cheaper in supermarkets: a litre of wine costs as little as EUR 2.50, a can of beer from EUR 0.50, a loaf of bread approx. EUR 1.50 and a frozen pizza an average of EUR 2.50.

The following are the customer websites of some Austrian supermarket chains: http://www.zielpunkt.at :: http://www.billa.at :: http://www.spar.at :: http://www.merkur.co.at :: http://www.hofer.at

Discounts

Various cultural events, sports centres, shops and public transport options offer student discounts.
Many language schools, too, have special deals with local services - it is always worth asking.