Which place is cheaper, Bad Gastein or Salzburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Salzburg or Bad Gastein?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Salzburg or Bad Gastein, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Salzburg or Bad Gastein?
Salzburg
Most people know of Salzburg from its roll in the infamous movie "The Sound of Music." Every child who fell in love with this movie knows the gazebo scene in the rain, or could sing "My Favorite Things" as they skip down the Salzach River, but once you get past the obvious cliches, you can see that Salzburg is a city with a lot of depth and culture aside from the movie.
Bad Gastein
Located in the High Tauern Mountains south of Salzburg, Bad Gastein is a spa and ski town known for hotels and villas built into steep and forested slopes. While the town is most visited in the winter for skiing purposes, it is also a home base for many hiking opportunities throughout the summer.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Austria, The Best 10-Day Tours in Austria, The Best 2-Week Tours in Austria, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySalzburg €155Bad Gastein €122
The average daily cost (per person) in Salzburg is €155, while the average daily cost in Bad Gastein is €122. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Salzburg and Bad Gastein in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalzburg €91Bad Gastein €62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalzburg €182Bad Gastein €124
Compare Hotels in Salzburg and Bad Gastein
Looking for a hotel in Salzburg or Bad Gastein? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Salzburg Hotel Prices and Bad Gastein Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salzburg €19Bad Gastein €40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salzburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salzburg:
- Arrival Private Transfers: Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg in Business Car: $90
- Arrival Private Transfers: Salzburg Airport SZG to Salzburg in Luxury Van: $93
- Cesky Krumlov: Private One-Way Transfer to Salzburg: $624
- Departure Private Transfers: Salzburg to Salzburg Airport SZG in Business Car: $90
- Departure Private Transfers: Salzburg to Salzburg Airport SZG in Luxury Van: $93
- From Salzburg to Munich Airport- Private Transfer - punctual & friendly Driver: $212
- Kitzbuhel, Flachau, Transfer From Salzburg & Airport SZG: $287
- Private Salzburg Airport luxury transfers to Salzburg city&Hotels: $65
- Private Scenic Transfer from Salzburg to Munich with 4h of Sightseeing: $278
- Private Transfer From Salzburg To Innsbruck, English Speaking Driver : $261
- Private Transfer From Salzburg To Kitzbuhel, English Speaking Driver : $182
- Private Transfer From Salzburg to Vienna: $212
Is it cheaper to fly into Salzburg or Bad Gastein?
Prices for flights to both Bad Gastein and Salzburg change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySalzburg €41Bad Gastein €35
Typical Food Prices in Salzburg
Some typical examples of dining costs in Salzburg are as follows:
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Lunch Salad€9.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Salzburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Salzburg.
- Cookies and Apple Strudel Cooking Class Including Lunch: $59
- Austrian Apple Strudel Cooking Class including Lunch in Salzburg: $60
- Best of Mozart Fortress Concert and Dinner: $81
- Best of Mozart Concert and Dinner or VIP Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $83
- Mozart and Advent/Christmas Concert with Dinner at Fortress Hohensalzburg: $83
- Mozart Concert with Dinner: $83
- Dinner Cooking Class and Music: $84
- Mozart Dinner Concert in Salzburg: $85
- Dinner Cooking Class - Prezels, Dumplings, Apple Strudel & Music: $86
- Dinner and Classical Concert at Mirabell Palace: $94
- Cruise, Dinner & Fortress Concert: $105
- Mozart Concert and Dinner or VIP Dinner at Fortress Salzburg with River Cruise: $111
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salzburg €30Bad Gastein €21
Tours and Activities in Salzburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Salzburg are as follows:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.20
- Cathedral Entry Ticket with Audio Guide Option: $5.33
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.38
- Salzburg Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.52
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $6.93
- Sound of Music Sightseeing Walk with Audio Guide: $6.99
- A taste of An audio tour through the birthplace of Mozart: $7.47
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $7.99
- Mirabell Palace and Surroundings Audio Tour: $8.52
- Salzburg Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Salzburg Cathedral: Guided Tour with Entry Ticket: $9.59
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalzburg €26Bad Gastein €7.86
Typical Alcohol Prices in Salzburg
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Salzburg:
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Beer€3.70
Sample the Local Flavors in Salzburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Salzburg:
- Stiegl Brewery Museum Entry Ticket & Beer Tasting: $16
- Stiegl Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting: $24
- Guided Wine Tasting in a Hidden Wine Bar: $36
- Guided Wine Tasting in a Hidden Wine Bar: $37
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salzburg and Bad Gastein, we can see that Salzburg is more expensive. And not only is Bad Gastein much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bad Gastein would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bad Gastein and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Salzburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Salzburg than you might in Bad Gastein.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Salzburg Expensive? and Is Bad Gastein Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salzburg or Bad Gastein?
Salzburg has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Bad Gastein. When comparing the sizes of Salzburg and Bad Gastein, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.