What Can You Buy in Austria for €150,000–700,000 in 2026?

Austria is not a cheap market, but it is a stable one, and a budget of €150,000 to €700,000 buys very different things depending on whether you look in St. Pölten or in Vienna's Döbling. This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. We have no listings in these places; every size below is our own estimate (budget divided by a price per m2), not an offer.

Quick answer

According to press coverage of its release, Statistics Austria found that house and flat prices in the first half of 2026 were 3.9% higher than a year earlier, and that the House Price Index reached a record. The national average for condominiums in 2025 was €4,162 per m2 (Statistics Austria, 2025 data).

Price per m2 for flats, with the source and period:

• Vienna, existing flats: roughly €3,700 to €6,200 per m2, first-occupancy flats €5,900 to €8,100 (EHL Vienna market report, H1 2026, as reported).
• Graz: about €3,600 per m2 average (Raiffeisen Immobilien, January to June 2026).
• Linz: about €4,200 on average, new €5,500, used €3,800 (same source).
• St. Pölten: about €2,800; Klagenfurt €3,900; Eisenstadt €3,400 (same source).
• Salzburg: about €6,300 per m2 in 2025 asking prices (ImmoScout24); that is an asking price, not a sold price.

The range is generous in Graz, Linz and outer Vienna, where €250,000 to €400,000 buys a normal flat. It is thin in Salzburg and in Vienna's better districts, where a family flat needs the upper tiers.

Tier by tier

Sizes are our own estimates (budget divided by price per m2) and ignore buying costs.

• €150,000 to €250,000. At Graz's €3,600 per m2 that is about 42 to 69 m2; in St. Pölten (€2,800) about 54 to 89 m2; in Vienna at the bottom of the existing-flat range (€3,700) about 40 to 68 m2, usually an older building in an outer district such as Favoriten (finanzinfo.at table: €3,800 to €5,000 per m2). Trade-offs: building age, walk-up floors, weak energy class, a low reserve fund.
• €250,000 to €400,000. Favoriten at €3,800 to €5,000 gives about 50 to 105 m2; Graz about 69 to 111 m2; Linz used flats (€3,800) about 66 to 105 m2. Vienna becomes realistic here as a two-room flat in an ordinary district.
• €400,000 to €550,000. Vienna existing stock (€3,700 to €6,200) allows about 65 to 149 m2 depending on district; Döbling at €6,200 to €8,500 only about 47 to 89 m2. In Linz new build at €5,500 gives about 73 to 100 m2. Salzburg at about €6,300 asking gives about 63 to 87 m2: a compact flat, not a family one.
• €550,000 to €700,000. Vienna first-occupancy flats (€5,900 to €8,100) give about 68 to 119 m2; Döbling-type districts about 65 to 113 m2; Salzburg about 87 to 110 m2. Houses appear mainly outside the large cities; prices vary too much by region to give one figure, and premium regions such as Tyrol and Vorarlberg cost more.

Four buyer scenarios

• Entry buyer (€150,000 to €250,000). Decision: Graz or St. Pölten with a larger flat, or a compact Vienna flat. The easy-to-miss point is the building: in older Austrian blocks the reserve fund (Rücklage) and planned works decide your real cost, not the price. A typical reserve payment is €0.50 to €1.50 per m2 per month (finanzinfo.at), and a low reserve means a special levy later.
• Balanced buyer (€250,000 to €400,000). Decision: a used flat in Vienna's outer districts or a newer flat in Graz or Linz. Compare energy certificate and heating.
• Lifestyle buyer (€400,000 to €550,000). Decision: a smaller flat in a better Vienna district, or a larger one further out. The easy-to-miss point for an EU buyer: if the home is a second home, state rules on leisure residences can limit you in tourist regions and some city areas; check before you pay a deposit.
• Upper-range buyer (€550,000 to €700,000). Decision: new build in Vienna or a premium regional home. If you pay a developer before completion, check the security under the Bauträgervertragsgesetz (see the new build section).

Total cost for a foreign buyer

Rates are from official guidance or secondary summaries as marked:

• Transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer): generally 3.5% of the price (oesterreich.gv.at).
• Land register entry: about 1.1% of the price (secondary sources). A temporary exemption in some places was reported to run only to 1 July 2026; we could not confirm whether it was extended, so ask your lawyer which rate applies on your date.
• Contract drafting and escrow by a lawyer or notary: commonly 1% to 3% (secondary).
• Agent commission: up to 3% of the price plus 20% VAT under the official ceiling, depending on who hired the agent; sometimes the buyer pays nothing.

Illustrative total for a €400,000 purchase: transfer tax about €14,000, land register about €4,400, contract and escrow about €4,000 to €12,000, agent up to about €14,400. Together that is roughly 6% to 11% of the price, in line with the 10% to 12% that secondary guides quote. This is illustrative, not a quote.

Annual running costs: building management, the reserve fund (€0.50 to €1.50 per m2 per month), insurance and utilities. We found no reliable figure for the property tax (Grundsteuer); ask the seller for the last bill.

Who can buy and how to finance

Land transactions in Austria are regulated by each of the nine states (Grundverkehr). Non-EU/EEA citizens generally need a state approval for a flat purchase (Upper Austria official page; Vienna Chamber of Labour). Rules for EU/EEA citizens are lighter but still differ by state, especially for second homes and leisure residences; the Salzburg law of 2023 restricts second residences in some areas. We did not find the detailed rules for Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Carinthia or Vienna, so check them with the state authority or a local lawyer before signing. See also where foreigners cannot own land.

Buying does not give residence: that is a separate procedure. We did not find reliable data on mortgages for non-residents (typical loan-to-value, documents), so we give no figure; see mortgages for non-residents and ask a bank directly. Many buyers finance from home.

Yield and exit

Global Property Guide lists an average gross yield of 3.82% for Austria in Q1 2026, 4.84% for Vienna and 3.73% for Graz (listing-based data). Our own division of an EHL Graz rent of €14.50 per m2 by a price of €4,197 per m2 gives about 4.1% gross. Net yield is lower: vacancy, reserve fund, repairs, management and income tax all reduce it, and private sellers pay 30% real estate gains tax on a sale. Rent rules in older Vienna buildings may cap rents (not verified by us), and Vienna has had strict short-term rental rules since July 2024. Prices are in euros, so a Polish buyer carries zloty exchange risk. Resale in Vienna and Graz is generally liquid; small regional towns are slower.

New build or resale

For a new flat bought before completion, the Bauträgervertragsgesetz applies when more than €150 per m2 is paid before completion. The developer must secure your payments, for example by a guarantee or by registering your title in the land register with payments tied to a schedule. Funds are normally held in escrow by a notary or lawyer (oesterreich.gv.at). Ask which security is used and who the escrow agent is. Resale lets you see the building and its reserve fund, but older stock may need a new roof or heating.

Due diligence checklist

• Land register extract (Grundbuch): owner, mortgages, easements and any residence rights of third parties.
• Ownership form: is it proper flat ownership (Wohnungseigentum) and is it registered.
• The last owners' meeting minutes, reserve fund balance and planned works.
• Energy performance certificate and heating system.
• State approval status for foreigners, or a confirmation that none is needed (Negativbestätigung).
• Rental status: is the flat let, and under what rent rules.
• Plans against the actual layout: extensions or loft conversions without permits.
• Who holds the escrow and how your payment is released.

FAQ

Can I buy a flat in Vienna for €200,000? Only a small or older one: at €3,700 per m2 that is about 54 m2 in our estimate, and the condition of the building matters more than the price.

Do I need a permit as a Pole? Rules for EU citizens differ by state and by use; second homes face limits in some places. Check with the state authority.

Does buying give me a residence permit? No; it is a separate procedure.

Is Graz better value than Vienna? Its average price per m2 is lower (about €3,600 against €3,700 to €6,200 in Vienna), and so is gross yield (3.73% against 4.84% in one dataset).

Bottom line

For €150,000 to €400,000 Austria means Graz, Linz, St. Pölten and the outer districts of Vienna. From €400,000 you start to compare a compact flat in a better area against a larger one further out. The points that matter most are the building's reserve fund, the state rules on foreign buyers and who holds the escrow. Read our guides on prices and buying costs, rental yield and the buying guide for foreigners; for the areas see where to buy in Austria.

What this means for a normal buyer

• Set the budget with 6% to 11% on top for tax, registration, lawyer and a possible commission.
• Compare buildings, not just prices per m2: reserve fund, heating and energy class.
• Check state-level rules for foreign buyers before paying a deposit.
• Treat gross yields of 3% to 5% as ordinary; do not expect high returns.
• Ask about the escrow arrangement and the developer's security for new builds; see notary or lawyer and total cost of ownership.

An independent buyer-side adviser can help you compare options and bring in an Austrian lawyer; D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant.