Which district fits my budget?
Right now you pay least in these districts:
Is it always dearer near the centre?
Not necessarily. Innere Stadt (€26.7/m²) is among the most expensive districts. Beyond that there is no simple drop from the centre outwards. Districts with many new buildings, such as Donaustadt (€25.4/m²) or Leopoldstadt (€24.1/m²), have high asking rents because new flats are let at market rates. In old-building districts such as Neubau (€21.9/m²), Josefstadt (€20.6/m²) or Alsergrund (€20.6/m²), many flats fall under the Richtwert instead. Döbling (€23.4/m²) is a sought-after villa district.
The ranking of all districts is in the guide to the cheapest districts, with a map and price ranges under rent by district.
Where do students live?
Close to the big universities: the University of Vienna has its main building in Innere Stadt and its campus in Alsergrund (€20.6/m²), where the Medical University is too. TU Wien is in Wieden (€23.1/m²), WU in Leopoldstadt (€24.1/m²) and BOKU in Währing (€22.1/m²).
Districts with a fast U-Bahn to your university are often cheaper, for example Ottakring (€19.3/m²), Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus (€19.4/m²), Brigittenau (€19.9/m²) or Favoriten (€20.0/m²). A WG room is the cheapest option almost everywhere.
Where do families like to live?
If you want green space and bigger flats, look towards the edge of the city. Hietzing (€20.2/m²) has Schönbrunn and the Lainzer Tiergarten, Döbling (€23.4/m²) the Vienna Woods and vineyards. Floridsdorf (€19.9/m²) and Donaustadt (€25.4/m²) have the Alte Donau, the Danube Island and many newer flats with more rooms. Liesing (€19.2/m²) and Penzing (€19.7/m²) border the Vienna Woods.
Where is the most going on?
Neubau (€21.9/m²) and Mariahilf (€21.9/m²) around Mariahilfer Straße have the most bars, shops and culture. Leopoldstadt (€24.1/m²) has the Prater and Karmelitermarkt, Ottakring (€19.3/m²) the Brunnenmarkt and Yppenplatz. The area around the Naschmarkt, between Wieden and Mariahilf, is busy in the evening. Josefstadt (€20.6/m²) is quieter and still central.
How much does the commute matter?
Often more than the district itself. Five U-Bahn lines reach far into the outer districts: to Oberlaa in Favoriten (€20.0/m²), Simmering (€18.9/m²), Hütteldorf in Penzing, Floridsdorf, Siebenhirten in Liesing and Seestadt in Donaustadt. A flat near an U-Bahn station further out often gets you to the centre faster than one in an inner district without a good connection.
How to decide
- Set your budget as gross rent and use the rent check to see what it gets you in which district.
- Ride your commute to work or university once at rush hour before you sign.
- Walk the area in the evening and at the weekend: noise, bars and shopping differ from a morning viewing.
- Don't search in one district only. Two or three neighbouring districts often double the number of matching listings.