Starting January 2025, Vienna will increase fees for municipal services, including waste collection, water, and sewage, by 5.9%.

Parking fees will also rise by 10 cents per hour.

This decision, announced by Finance Councillor Peter Hanke, is based on the Valuation Act, which allows for automatic fee adjustments when the consumer price index exceeds a 3% threshold.

The increase is deemed necessary to maintain Vienna's infrastructure and services at a high standard, despite rising costs and inflation.

Critics, however, argue that the automatic linkage to inflation is problematic, as it doesn't account for actual service costs.

The fee hike will see single households paying an additional €1.35 monthly, while multi-person households will pay €3.11 more.

Despite the increase, Vienna's fees remain competitive compared to other cities.