University of Vienna
Main building & Altes AKH campus
Alsergrund right at the campus, plus Josefstadt and Währing: period-building quarters with short ways to the Ring and metro.
Guide · Studying in Vienna
Student housing in Vienna: dorm, flatshare or your own flat?
With around 200,000 students, Vienna is the largest university city in the German-speaking world, yet it has only about 18,700 dorm places, fewer than one in ten. Plan early and you will still live well and affordably. Here is the honest comparison of the three paths, with real prices, the right timeline and the providers to apply to directly.
The honest cost comparison
- Student dorm ≈ €290 to €735 / month
- All-in with electricity, internet and usually furniture. A place in a twin room starts at about 290 euros, a room of your own mostly ranges from 415 to 735. The cheapest option, but limited supply and house rules.
- Flatshare room (WG) ≈ €300 to €500 / month
- Including utilities, plus a share of the deposit. The middle way: your own room, shared costs, more freedom than a dorm, but a flatmate lottery.
- Own studio flat ≈ €630 to €840 / month
- At around 21 euros per square metre asking rent for 30 to 40 m² (2026), plus up to 3 months deposit and furniture. Maximum freedom, maximum cost.
Prices: published dorm lists 2026/27, flatshare surveys 2026, asking-rent analyses 2026. All orientation, not an offer.
The timeline: Vienna rewards the early
- 01
March to May: apply for dorms
For the winter semester, apply ideally between March and May; some deadlines start as early as March. Waiting lists run by application date, and applications are non-binding with most providers, so apply to several at once.
- 02
Early summer: start the flat hunt
In late summer, half of Europe hits the Viennese market at once. Starting in June or July gives you noticeably more choice; a few months of lead time is a rule of thumb, not a law.
- 03
August and September: dorms are mostly full
If you only start looking shortly before the semester, the large providers are usually booked out, and waiting lists are the way in. More realistic now: a room in a flatshare, places that free up at short notice via the providers summer-housing pages, and a temporary place for the first few weeks.
- 04
Move-in: register within 3 days
Registering your main residence is mandatory, in dorms and sublets too. The dorm or the main tenant signs the registration form as your landlord.
The dorm providers in Vienna: apply directly here
A selection of the big providers, alphabetical, with published price ranges for 2026/27 (they change yearly). Applications run directly on their websites, usually free or for a small registration fee.
- AkademikerhilfeAustria's largest non-profit provider, 20 Vienna locations; prices appear only in the booking system after registration.
- home4studentsNon-profit student foundation, 11 houses in Vienna, a place in a twin room from about 289 euros, single rooms from 415, utilities included.
- Kolpinghaus WienCentral location in Mariahilf, rooms roughly 340 to 560 euros including energy.
- MILESTONE by TriberaThree houses near WU and the U2/U3, furnished all-in studios in the premium segment.
- OeAD student housingNon-profit focused on international students, a place in a double room from about 340 euros, your own room from 439, plus a 21-euro monthly booking fee.
- ÖJABLong-standing provider with several houses, a place in a twin room from about 366 euros, single rooms up to around 735, all-in.
- STUWONon-profit corporation, 12 newer houses in Vienna, a place in a double or couple apartment from about 430 euros, your own room in a two-person apartment from 555, your own studio from 618, all-in.
- ViennabaseOn behalf of the City of Vienna, 1,600 rooms in 5 houses, rooms roughly 476 to 798 euros.
- WIHASTAffordable housing since 1923, over 3,200 places, places from about 320 euros, single rooms from 407.
Selection without claim to completeness, Vienna has around 100 dorms; all links lead directly to the providers (no commission or advertising relationship). Good to know: deposits of 600 to 750 euros are common, contracts often run 12 months (shorter for exchange semesters), and under the Student Dorm Act you can always terminate at semester end (winter semester by 30 Nov, summer semester by 30 Apr).
Flatshares: the two models and their traps
Legally there are two flatshare forms: either everyone signs the main lease together (equal rights, but as a rule everyone is liable for the whole rent), or one person is the main tenant and the others sublet. As a subtenant you are the weaker party, your contract depends on the main lease.
Therefore: always put the sublease in writing, with a clearly named room, a fixed rent and a notice period. And the Chamber of Labour rule of thumb: if the main tenant adds more than about 50 percent to the proportional rent, that is abusively excessive and contestable.
Your own flat: what is realistic
Small flats from about 630 euros are easiest to find in Favoriten, Simmering or Floridsdorf, all three with metro access and much cheaper than the inner districts. Which districts combine price and connection best is shown in our ranking, and along which metro line to search in the metro special.
On the contract: fixed-term leases must run at least 3 years with private landlords, and since 2026 at least 5 with commercial ones. You yourself can terminate after the first year with 3 months notice, so you are not bound until graduation. And in pre-war buildings the rent is capped by the Richtwert system, checking pays off.
Living near your university: the right neighbourhoods
Vienna's universities are far apart, so the right neighbourhood depends on where you study. Here are the areas with short ways per university; each place is described with real data in the Neighbourhood Atlas.
WU Vienna
Campus WU at the Prater
Leopoldstadt around the Prater and Nordbahnviertel is the first choice, Brigittenau the cheaper neighbour, and via the U2 also Donaustadt.
TU Wien
Karlsplatz & Getreidemarkt
Wieden and Margareten are within walking distance, Mariahilf right behind: central quarters, popular accordingly.
MedUni Vienna / AKH
Währinger Gürtel
Alsergrund and Josefstadt on the inside, Hernals and Währing outside the Gürtel, where it gets noticeably cheaper.
BOKU Vienna
Türkenschanze
Währing and Döbling sit right at the Türkenschanze, green and quiet; Hernals is the more affordable alternative.
FH Campus Wien
Favoriten / Alt Erlaa
Favoriten is the city's cheapest large district with U1 access; Liesing is also well connected via the Badner Bahn.
Money: subsidies and the new transit ticket
- Study grant (Studienbeihilfe)
- On 1 September 2026 the base amount rises from 431 to 451 euros per month, and the supplement for studying away from home from 321 to 336 euros (Studienbeihilfen-Valorisierungsverordnung 2026). There is no separate housing allowance, housing costs are part of the away-from-home supplement.
- Vienna housing benefit
- Available to students too, but only for rented flats (not dorms), with main residence in Vienna and your own minimum income; the study grant counts, pure parental support does not.
- ÖH social fund
- One-off payments for students in financial need, including housing emergencies. Apply any time via the Austrian Students Union, which also runs a free housing-law advice service.
- Transit: new ticket since 2026
- In February 2026 the semester ticket was replaced by the youth annual pass, for everyone under 26 and regardless of main residence. It costs 294 euros digitally or 300 euros as a printed card, 309 and 315 euros respectively in monthly instalments, and runs 12 months from your chosen start.
Vienna housing benefit: requirements & application →
Common questions about student housing
What does a student dorm in Vienna cost?
Depending on provider and category, about 290 to 735 euros per month, all-in with electricity and internet. A place in a twin room starts around 290 euros (for example at home4students); a room of your own mostly ranges from 415 to 735 euros (2026/27 price lists).
Dorm, flatshare or own flat: which is cheapest?
Usually a place in a twin room in a dorm (from about 290 euros all-in), then the flatshare room (about 300 to 500 euros including utilities), then the own studio (calculated 630 to 840 euros plus deposit and furniture).
When do I have to apply for a dorm?
For the winter semester ideally between March and May; some deadlines start in March. Waiting lists run by application date; apply to several providers at once, it is non-binding.
Do I get housing benefit as a student?
In Vienna yes, but only for rented flats, not dorm places. You need your main residence in Vienna and your own minimum income; study grants and scholarships count, pure parental support does not.
Can I register my main residence in a dorm?
Yes, registering within 3 days of moving in is actually mandatory. The dorm signs the registration form as your landlord.
How do I exit a dorm contract early?
Under the Student Dorm Act you can always terminate at semester end (winter semester by 30 November, summer semester by 30 April). For important reasons such as graduation or relocation, you can leave at the next month end.
What should I watch out for as a flatshare subtenant?
A written sublease with a clearly named room, fixed rent and notice period. And the Chamber of Labour rule of thumb: more than about 50 percent markup on the proportional rent is abusively excessive.
What does public transport cost for students?
The semester ticket ended in February 2026. For everyone under 26 there is the youth annual pass, regardless of main residence: 294 euros digitally, 300 euros as a printed card, 309 and 315 euros respectively in monthly instalments. No proof of study is needed. From 26 you need the regular annual pass (461 euros digitally) or the KlimaTicket.
Read on
- Vienna housing benefit: requirements & application →
- Affordable living where it is worth it →
- Living by the metro: all lines compared →
As of 15 August 2026 (dorm price lists 2026/27 checked house by house, study grant from 1 Sept 2026, transit ticket 2026) · Orientation, not legal advice · Free advice: ÖH housing-law service