Cost of Studying in Austria from Sri Lanka — €726.72/semester at TU Wien and WU Wien · Updated 2026-05-22
Austrian public-university tuition is the EU's third-lowest — behind only Germany and Malta.
TU Wien, the University of Vienna and WU Wien charge €726.72/semester (~LKR 250k/year) for non-EU students. Add €19.20 ÖH student union fee. That makes Austria one of the most accessible EU degrees on the planet for Sri Lankan applicants.
Realistic Year 1 total
LKR 5.5M – 6M / year
LKR figures use an indicative rate of EUR 1 ≈ LKR 340. MA35 (Vienna immigration office) requires €14,604/year (under 24) or €17,720/year (24+) in proof of funds.
schedule Last reviewed:
Where your money actually goes
Forget the headline number for a moment. Studying in Austria has four cost buckets — and three of them are negotiable.
University
Tuition
Negotiable via scholarship choice, university choice and level of study. The biggest single number on the page.
Your control
Living costs
Rent, food, transport. Choosing a smaller city can save the equivalent of a year's tuition over a 3-year degree.
Fixed
One-time pre-departure
Visa, tests, flights, initial deposits. Same for everyone — plan with buffer; don't be surprised.
Government / required
Health & admin
Health insurance, residency cards, mandatory deposits. Not negotiable — but the cheapest provider can save a lot.
What you pay the university
Ranges below cover every Austria institution Lanka Scholar partners with. The lower end is regional / public universities; the upper end is elite institutions. Your tuition is set by where you apply — and how aggressively you target scholarships.
| Study Level | LKR (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's — public university (per semester) | LKR 253k / semester |
| Master's — public university (per semester) | LKR 253k / semester |
| Private universities (Modul, Webster) — per year | LKR 2.7M – 8.5M |
| Specialised (medicine) — per year | LKR 850k – 1.4M |
| PhD positions (paid research) | Net positive |
Your single biggest variable
City choice is the lever Sri Lankan families most often underuse. Over a 3-year degree, choosing a smaller city instead of the capital can save the equivalent of a full year's tuition — for the same Austria qualification.
Vienna (TU Wien, U Wien, WU)
€900 – €1,100 / month
LKR 305k – 375k / month
Graz (U Graz, TU Graz)
€700 – €900 / month
LKR 240k – 305k / month
Innsbruck / Salzburg
€800 – €1,000 / month
LKR 270k – 340k / month
Linz / Klagenfurt
€650 – €850 / month
LKR 220k – 290k / month
Before you fly
The costs that hit in the 3 months before departure. Most Sri Lankan families underestimate this stack — plan with buffer.
For the full visa fee breakdown, see our Austria student visa guide .
One-Time Pre-Departure Costs
Four ways to bring the number down
The headline figure is the starting line, not the finish line. Every Sri Lankan student who lands in Austria has pulled at least two of these levers.
Public university tuition is genuinely low
TU Wien, University of Vienna, WU Wien all charge €726.72/semester — barely 25% of Ireland or Dutch rates. Among the cheapest EU public-university tuition for non-EU students.
savings Saves LKR 3M+ / year vs. Ireland/NetherlandsPick Graz, Innsbruck or Linz over Vienna
Same Austrian degree, 25–35% lower rent. University of Graz and TU Graz are excellent technical universities; Innsbruck has stunning alpine setting.
savings Saves LKR 800k+ / yearOeAD Ernst Mach grants for postgrad
Fully-funded postgraduate research stays — €1,150–€1,400/month + tuition + travel. Sri Lankan applicants compete annually; we help with the targeted submission.
savings Net positive year20 hours/week part-time work
Austrian student residence permit allows 20 hours/week year-round. Most Sri Lankan students earn €10–€14/hour at retail, hospitality and tutoring.
savings Earns LKR 1.2M+ / yearWhat this looks like for students like yours
Anonymised budgets from Sri Lankan students we placed in Austria recently. Names changed; figures real.
Pasindu — MSc Computer Science, TU Wien
Vienna (campus area)
Funding
Self-funded
Year 1 total
LKR 5.5M (net of part-time work)
Chamodi — MA International Business, WU Wien
Vienna
Funding
Self-funded
Year 1 total
LKR 5.8M
Lochana — PhD Material Engineering, TU Wien
Vienna (TU Wien)
Funding
Research employment (TU Wien contract)
Year 1 total
Net positive
How we keep these numbers honest
Four things you should know before you trust this page.
Exchange rate stated
All LKR figures use the rate noted in the hero. Live rates fluctuate; we update this page quarterly. Last verified: 2026-05-22.
Universities pay us — never you
Lanka Scholar earns a commission from universities when you enrol. You pay tuition and fees directly to the institutions. There is no service fee, registration fee, or agent fee from us.
Ranges, not promises
Tuition and living costs vary by university and city. We've given the realistic middle 80% — not the cheapest possible or most expensive.
Walk in to any of 4 offices
Colombo head office plus branches in Jaffna, Matara and Batticaloa. Open weekdays — no appointment needed for a first consultation.
How scholarships change this math
OeAD (Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation) runs the Ernst Mach Grant for non-EU postgraduate research (€1,150–€1,400/month + tuition + travel). Most Austrian public universities offer institutional merit awards for international students at 20–50% of the (already low) tuition. CEEPUS funds Central European exchange.
See Austria scholarships open to Sri Lankans arrow_forwardQuestions Sri Lankan families actually ask about Austria costs
Don't see your question? WhatsApp a Austria counsellor — we usually reply within the hour, weekdays.
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Is public tuition really €726/semester? expand_more
Yes — Austrian public universities (TU Wien, U Wien, WU Wien, U Graz, etc.) charge non-EU students €726.72/semester. The €19.20 ÖH student union fee is on top. Total annual tuition: ~€1,492. -
Why is the residence permit process so slow? expand_more
MA35 (Vienna immigration office) is famously procedural — file load and procedural compliance produce 8–16 week decisions. We start applications 4 months before intake to manage the runway. -
Can I work during study? expand_more
20 hours/week year-round on a student residence permit. Most Sri Lankan students earn €10–€14/hour in retail, hospitality and tutoring. -
What is the Job-Seeker visa pathway? expand_more
12-month residence permit after graduation to find work — no employer sponsorship required. Once you secure a graduate-level job, conversion to a Red-White-Red Card (work permit) via Austria's points-based skilled-migration system. -
Is German required? expand_more
Not for English-taught Master's — TU Wien, University of Vienna, WU and several others run English-medium programmes. Most Bachelor's are in German with B2 admission requirement. A2 German helps daily life.
More on Austria
Study in Austria
Universities, courses, intakes, post-study work — the full destination overview.
Destination Guide arrow_forward verified_userAustria Student Visa Guide
Residence Permit – Student (Aufenthaltsbewilligung) — eligibility, documents, processing time, fees and how to avoid common rejections.
Visa Guide arrow_forward menu_bookAustria Courses
Filter our curated catalogue by level and field of study — every course shows tuition in LKR.
Browse Courses arrow_forwardGet your Austria budget worked out, in writing
Send your A/L results, target intake and rough monthly budget. A Austria counsellor returns a 1-page budget — universities you can realistically aim for, scholarships to target, total LKR by month. Free. No commitment. Reply within one working day.
Message a Austria Counsellor- check_circle Free for students — universities pay us, not you
- check_circle Average reply: under 1 hour, weekdays
- check_circle Walk in to any of 4 offices across Sri Lanka
Prefer a callback?
Drop your number — a Austria counsellor calls within one working day.