Tuition Fees and Cost of Living for Students in Austria
By Muntasir • Published Oct 19, 2025 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Study Abroad, Study in Europe, Country & City Guides, Money & Budgeting
EU/EEA students pay no tuition at public Austrian universities within their standard study time plus two extra semesters, only a small student union fee. Non-EU students pay a statutory fee per semester, and a Vienna student budget runs roughly 1,000-1,600 euros a month once rent and insurance are included.
💶 EU/EEA students: free tuition within standard duration + 2 semesters, then 363.36 euros/semester
💶 Non-EU students: 751.92 euros/semester statutory fee
📩 ÖH student union fee: 25.20 euros/semester, mandatory for everyone
🏠 Vienna rent: 450-900 euros/month
🏥 Health insurance: around 80 euros/month for students
🍽️ Food and personal spending: around 380 euros/month in Vienna
Tuition fees by student category
What you pay to study in Austria depends on your citizenship and how long you take to finish your degree, not on where in Europe you come from beyond the EU/EEA line. Public universities charge no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss citizens as long as you finish within your program's standard duration plus a two-semester tolerance period, according to Study in Austria , the official student information platform.
| Student category | Tuition per semester |
|---|---|
| EU/EEA/Swiss, within standard duration | 0 euros |
| EU/EEA/Swiss, beyond tolerance period | 363.36 euros |
| Non-EU/EEA | 751.92 euros |
Every student, regardless of nationality, also pays the ÖH-Beitrag, the Austrian Students' Union fee that includes accident insurance, at 25.20 euros per semester. Pay this by October 31 for winter semester and March 31 for summer semester to keep your enrollment active.
Universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) can charge tuition up to the same statutory maximum, but individual FH institutions set their own exact amount, so check the fee schedule on your specific FH's website before applying. Private universities set independent fees that can run from a few thousand euros a year to over 20,000 euros for specialized programs, for both EU and non-EU students.
Monthly cost of living in Vienna
Vienna sits at the higher end of Austrian living costs as the capital and largest student city. WU Vienna , one of Austria's largest universities, publishes this estimated monthly breakdown for its students.
| Expense | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | 450-900 euros |
| Health insurance | 80 euros |
| Food and personal expenses | 380 euros |
| Utilities (internet, phone) | 40 euros |
| Entertainment | 100-200 euros |
Add these up and a realistic Vienna student budget lands between roughly 1,050 and 1,600 euros a month, depending mostly on your rent and social spending. Public transport runs separately from this table: a student annual pass costs 300 euros a year if you are under 26, or 461 euros if older, working out to well under 40 euros a month either way.
Costs outside Vienna
Smaller university cities such as Graz, Innsbruck, Linz and Salzburg generally cost less than Vienna, mainly because rent runs lower outside the capital. The clearest verified comparison point is student housing: OeAD student housing , the national student accommodation provider, lists rooms starting from 330-435 euros a month across its properties nationwide, with most rooms landing around 600 euros and premium options exceeding 1,000 euros depending on location and facilities.
Use the Vienna breakdown as your upper-bound reference and expect food, transport and entertainment costs to track close to the Vienna figures nationwide, since these do not vary as sharply by city as rent does.
Budgeting for your first semester
Plan for a deposit on housing (commonly one to three months' rent), your first semester's ÖH fee, health insurance if not covered by an EU health card or existing policy, and enough buffer for setup costs like a phone contract and basic kitchen items. Non-EU students should budget for the residence permit costs and the higher statutory tuition on top of the living cost table above.