Real estate in the city of Salzburg

Find your property in Salzburg (City)

Real estate in Salzburg City is highly sought-after, usually only on the market for a short time and expensive. There are only rare exceptions. The special charm of the city and the excellent connections in all directions are convincing.

Living in the center of the Salzburg region

As the capital of the province of the same name, the city of Salzburg offers a wide range of advantages:

• Cultural offerings: the Salzburg Festival is famous far beyond the state's borders and attracts tens of thousands of people to the city every year.
• Salzburg's old town: The city center is a wonderful, charming place with stylish buildings. Tourists and locals alike flock here.
• Excellent leisure activities: Skiing in winter, hiking in summer or simply relaxing by a lake - there are plenty of options for being active near the city of Salzburg.
• Pleasant climate: It is cooler than in Vienna, but at the same time not yet high alpine. This makes for a pleasant combination.
• Practical transport connections: Salzburg is an important hub. There is an airport on the one hand and train connections to Munich, Linz, Innsbruck, Vienna, Berlin and Hamburg on the other.

One disadvantage for all those who live directly in the city center is mass tourism. On the one hand, there are many jobs thanks to this sector, but on the other hand, there are a lot of tourists in the city center. This is especially true in the summer months, during the festival season and in the run-up to Christmas.

While all these factors make Salzburg an extremely liveable city, they also drive up demand for housing and therefore property prices. Despite expensive rents, many people want to live in the city because it simply exudes a special flair and has a lot to offer.

Real estate market in the city of Salzburg

Over 150,000 people live in the city of Salzburg. Accordingly, the city center is densely built up. There are also terraced and detached houses on the outskirts of the city. The more central the location, the larger the residential buildings. However, it should be noted that many buildings are listed. This has made it possible to preserve special old buildings.

Due to intensive tourism, there is the problem that potential living space is being converted into vacation properties and hotel rooms. The city is at least trying to take action against Airbnb apartments by requiring prior approval for commercial rentals.

City of Salzburg: Buy or rent?

Many young people have problems finding affordable housing. That's why there are many shared flats in the city. Buying a property is an almost unattainable goal for many, if only because of the high prices.

Real estate prices are high

Property prices in the city of Salzburg are higher than in many districts of Vienna. They are among the highest real estate prices in the whole of Austria. Those who can, move to outlying areas or just outside the city limits, where prices are at least somewhat lower.

Purchase prices are only affordable for a few people

Property purchase prices average between 6,500 and 9,000 euros per square meter. This means that an 80m² apartment, including ancillary purchase costs, costs around 600,000 euros on average.

These purchase prices are unaffordable for many people. Even more expensive are luxury properties that are either in top locations (city center or outskirts with good views). Purchase prices of well over 10,000 euros per square meter are often demanded for particularly high-quality properties.

In addition, exclusive new-build projects are often sold off plan. This means that there is no viewing of the finished apartment, but the properties are already sold during the construction phase.

Rental prices appear extreme

The city of Salzburg is popular, but purchase prices are extremely high. This is why many people are forced to rent an apartment here. However, this is also correspondingly cost-intensive. Average rents are already just under 20 euros per square meter.

In Vienna, where social housing has a longer tradition, you could find a luxury apartment or two for this price per square meter. Even second-hand properties can hardly be found for less than around 17 - 18 euros per square meter per month.

Real estate in Salzburg City as a political issue

As real estate prices are so high, the issue of affordable housing is more political here than in almost any other place in Austria. The dissatisfaction of many Salzburg residents with the current situation on the real estate market has gone so far that the Communist Party has gained strength and now (as of 09/2024) holds the position of deputy mayor.

The Communists are very focused on the problems of the real estate market and have been able to gain enormous popularity as a result. This underlines how important it is to create affordable housing.

Anyone who urgently needs affordable housing and is desperate on the open market can also turn directly to the city government for advice and support. However, a long-term, sustainable solution to the difficult situation on the Salzburg real estate market has not yet emerged.

Finding a commission-free property in Salzburg City

Finding a property in Salzburg is difficult. Demand is constantly high in all size and price segments. It is therefore advisable to start looking for a suitable property in good time and ideally to check online at least daily to see if there are any new listings.

As soon as a possibly suitable advertisement is posted online, it is best to send a written inquiry directly and also call. This will increase your chances of actually getting an appointment to view a property.

Due to the very high purchase prices for real estate, the estate agent's commission is also high. This is because it is calculated on the basis of the purchase price paid. The estate agent charges 3.6 percent of the transaction amount as commission. For a property for 500,000 euros, this corresponds to a gross commission of 18,000 euros.

Properties that are offered without an estate agent are therefore more attractive. All properties advertised with us are sold or rented commission-free - so you can potentially save a considerable sum.

Information about the real estate market in the city of Salzburg

• Real estate prices in the city of Salzburg
• Rent index for the city of Salzburg