Postal and Shipping Price Research Austria 2026
Jules de Bruin
Expat in Vienna
Updated: April 27 2026 | Found helpful by 6 others
Updated April 2026. Based on retail price sheets and shipping calculators across nine major Austrian carriers, Hermes is the cheapest for small domestic parcels at EUR 3.99 (up to 2 kg within Austria). For a 5 kg parcel from Austria to Germany, GLS at EUR 11.50 offers the best balance of price and full-network delivery, while Hermes at EUR 8.50 is the absolute lowest with parcelshop drop-off. For premium speed, DHL Express to the US runs EUR 99 for 1 kg, roughly three times the cost of standard DHL but with time-definite delivery. Österreichische Post EMS at EUR 60 is the cheapest official option to the US.
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How Much Does It Cost to Send a Parcel from Austria in 2026?
Indicative starting prices for a small (S, up to 2 kg) parcel sent from Austria, plus typical price for a 5 kg parcel within Austria, a 5 kg parcel to Germany, and a 1 kg express shipment to the United States. Prices verified April 2026 from the providers' public price sheets and shipping calculators. Final price depends on dimensions, distance, insurance, and optional services (signature, weekend delivery).
| Provider | Small parcel (≤2 kg) within AT | 5 kg within AT | 5 kg AT → DE | Express AT → US (1 kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Österreichische Post | EUR 4.30 | EUR 6.20 | EUR 14.99 | EUR 60.00 (EMS) |
| DPD | EUR 4.99 | EUR 7.50 | EUR 12.50 | N/A (no US service) |
| GLS | EUR 4.20 | EUR 6.90 | EUR 11.50 | N/A (no US service) |
| DHL | EUR 5.99 | EUR 8.99 | EUR 13.99 | EUR 79.00 |
| DHL Express | EUR 28.00 | EUR 38.00 | EUR 35.00 | EUR 99.00 |
| UPS Standard | EUR 6.50 | EUR 10.50 | EUR 14.00 | EUR 84.00 (Saver) |
| FedEx International Economy | EUR 22.00 | EUR 32.00 | EUR 28.00 | EUR 89.00 |
| Hermes | EUR 3.99 | EUR 5.99 | EUR 8.50 | N/A (no US service) |
| Eurosender (aggregator) | EUR 4.50 | EUR 6.50 | EUR 9.90 | EUR 65.00 |
Source: provider public price sheets and shipping calculators (post.at, dhl.com/at, dpd.com/at, gls-austria.com, ups.com/at, fedex.com, hermesworld.com, eurosender.com), April 2026. Indicative prices for retail customers; business contracts typically discount 15 to 40% on volume.
Cheapest domestic
Hermes (EUR 3.99 small) and GLS(EUR 4.20 small) for a 2 kg parcel within Austria. Österreichische Post (EUR 4.30) is third on price but first on collection-network density.
Cheapest pan-EU
Hermes(EUR 8.50) for a 5 kg AT→DE parcel, Eurosender (EUR 9.90) aggregator rate, and GLS (EUR 11.50) for guaranteed full-network delivery.
Premium / express
DHL Express (EUR 99 to US) is the fastest but ~3x the price of standard DHL. FedEx and UPS Saver are the alternative premium-tier options.
What Does Each Provider Charge at a Glance?
One card per provider with the headline prices, what they are best for from a cost perspective, and a brief note on price positioning. Use this as a quick lookup when you already know the lane (domestic, AT to DE, AT to US) and need a single number.
Österreichische Post
Best for: Nationwide reliable domestic
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 4.30
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 6.20
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 14.99
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- EUR 60.00 (EMS)
Densest collection network in Austria; EMS is the cheapest official US option.
DPD
Best for: Pan-EU e-commerce parcels
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 4.99
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 7.50
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 12.50
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- N/A
Strong European parcel network; no retail US service.
GLS
Best for: Cheapest pan-EU
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 4.20
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 6.90
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 11.50
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- N/A
Lowest price for 5 kg AT to DE among guaranteed-network carriers.
DHL
Best for: International parcel network
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 5.99
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 8.99
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 13.99
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- EUR 79.00
Mid-tier price with full global reach including US standard service.
DHL Express
Best for: Fastest international express
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 28.00
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 38.00
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 35.00
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- EUR 99.00
Roughly 3x the price of standard DHL; buys time-definite delivery.
UPS Standard
Best for: Heavy or high-value items
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 6.50
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 10.50
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 14.00
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- EUR 84.00 (Saver)
Premium tier; discounts of 15 to 40% available on business contracts.
FedEx International Economy
Best for: Business international
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 22.00
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 32.00
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 28.00
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- EUR 89.00
Premium tier; strongest on North America lanes.
Hermes
Best for: Cheapest e-commerce returns
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 3.99
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 5.99
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 8.50
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- N/A
Lowest published prices for small AT and 5 kg AT to DE; parcelshop drop-off.
Eurosender (aggregator)
Best for: Budget multi-carrier shopping
- Small parcel (≤2 kg) AT
- EUR 4.50
- 5 kg within AT
- EUR 6.50
- 5 kg AT → DE
- EUR 9.90
- Express AT → US (1 kg)
- EUR 65.00
Aggregates GLS, DPD, UPS rates; useful when you want one booking for any lane.
How Are Austrian Shipping Providers Tiered by Price in 2026?
Austrian carriers cluster into three clear price tiers. Match the value of your shipment to the right tier rather than defaulting to a single carrier across every lane.
Budget tier (EUR 3.99 to EUR 7.50 small to mid)
Hermes, GLS, Österreichische Post, Eurosender, and DPD all sit under EUR 5 for small AT parcels and under EUR 13 for 5 kg AT to DE. This tier is the right fit for low-value e-commerce, returns, and routine domestic shipments. None of the budget tier offers a retail US service except Österreichische Post EMS (EUR 60) and Eurosender (EUR 65), both of which still beat any premium carrier on price.
Mid-tier (EUR 5.99 to EUR 14.00 standard, EUR 79 to EUR 84 to US)
DHL and UPS Standard sit in the middle: pan-EU 5 kg in the EUR 14 range and US 1 kg in the EUR 79 to EUR 84 range. The premium over the budget tier buys integrated worldwide reach (including the US), full home pickup, and harder service-level guarantees on business contracts. This is the typical pick for occasional international shipments where speed matters but is not contractually fixed.
Premium tier (EUR 22 to EUR 38 standard, EUR 89 to EUR 99 to US)
DHL Express and FedEx International Economy price small AT parcels at EUR 22 to EUR 28 (5x to 7x the budget tier) and US 1 kg at EUR 89 to EUR 99. The premium buys time-definite next-day or two-day delivery on international lanes. Worth the cost only when delivery date is contractually fixed (legal, medical, perishable, urgent business documents).
How Do Domestic and International Shipping Prices Compare?
Domestic Austrian shipping in 2026 is cheap. A 2 kg parcel starts at EUR 3.99 (Hermes) and tops out at EUR 6.50 (UPS Standard) across the budget and mid-tier carriers. Even Österreichische Post (EUR 4.30 small, EUR 6.20 for 5 kg) is within EUR 0.31 of the cheapest budget option for small parcels and offers the densest collection network. The full domestic spread is roughly 1.6x from cheapest to most expensive.
Cross-border to Germany compresses prices further on the budget end (Hermes EUR 8.50) and slightly inflates them at the top (DHL Express EUR 35.00). The 5 kg AT to DE spread is roughly 4x. International express to the US is where the price tiers fully diverge: EUR 60 (Post AG EMS) versus EUR 99 (DHL Express), a 1.65x spread driven entirely by speed. The standard recipe: ship domestic and pan-EU on the budget tier, escalate only when the delivery date is fixed.
How Should You Pick a Provider Based on Price?
Cheapest domestic
Use Hermes (EUR 3.99 small, EUR 5.99 for 5 kg) if you can drop off at a parcelshop. GLS (EUR 4.20 / EUR 6.90) is a close second. Österreichische Post (EUR 4.30 / EUR 6.20) costs only EUR 0.31 more for small parcels and offers the densest collection network in Austria.
Cheapest pan-EU (AT to DE)
Hermes (EUR 8.50) for absolute lowest price with parcelshop drop-off. Eurosender (EUR 9.90) for cheapest aggregated rate across multiple carriers. GLS (EUR 11.50) for guaranteed full-network door-to-door delivery at the lowest price among traditional carriers.
Premium speed (international)
DHL Express (EUR 99 to US) is the fastest international service and the highest-price carrier on every lane. FedEx International Economy (EUR 89) is the alternative for North America. Use only when delivery date is contractually fixed; the premium over standard DHL or Post AG EMS is roughly EUR 20 to EUR 70 per shipment.
Heavy or high-value items
Use UPS Standard (EUR 10.50 for 5 kg AT, EUR 84 for US Saver). Mid-tier price with hard service-level guarantees and strong handling for heavier or higher-value shipments. Volume contracts cut prices 15 to 40% above ~50 parcels per month.
E-commerce returns
Use Hermes (EUR 3.99 small AT, EUR 8.50 to DE). The lowest published prices in both lanes, optimised for parcelshop drop-off and high-volume returns workflows.
Business international
Use FedEx International Economy (EUR 28 to DE, EUR 89 to US) or UPS Standard (EUR 14 to DE, EUR 84 to US Saver) on a negotiated business contract. Discounts of 15 to 40% on volume bring effective prices closer to the mid-tier while keeping the service guarantees of the premium tier.
Occasional one-off shipment
Use Eurosender (EUR 4.50 small AT, EUR 9.90 to DE, EUR 65 to US) as a multi-carrier aggregator. Single booking, no contract, prices comparable to the budget tier on EU lanes and undercutting the mid-tier on US.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to send a parcel within Austria in 2026?
As of April 2026, Hermes is the cheapest at EUR 3.99 for a small parcel up to 2 kg within Austria, followed by GLS at EUR 4.20 and Österreichische Post at EUR 4.30. For 5 kg domestic, Hermes (EUR 5.99) is again the lowest, with Österreichische Post (EUR 6.20) and Eurosender (EUR 6.50) close behind. The trade-off with the budget options is parcelshop drop-off rather than full home pickup; Post AG retains the densest collection network.
How much does it cost to send a 5 kg parcel from Austria to Germany?
For a 5 kg AT to DE parcel in April 2026: Hermes EUR 8.50 (cheapest), Eurosender EUR 9.90 (aggregator), GLS EUR 11.50, DPD EUR 12.50, DHL EUR 13.99, UPS Standard EUR 14.00, Österreichische Post EUR 14.99, FedEx International Economy EUR 28.00, and DHL Express EUR 35.00. GLS at EUR 11.50 is the typical pick for guaranteed network delivery at a competitive price.
What is the cheapest international courier from Austria to the US?
For a 1 kg shipment from Austria to the US in April 2026: Österreichische Post EMS at EUR 60.00 is the cheapest official option, followed by Eurosender (aggregator) at EUR 65.00 and DHL Standard at EUR 79.00. UPS Saver costs EUR 84.00, FedEx International Economy EUR 89.00, and DHL Express EUR 99.00. Hermes, GLS, and DPD do not offer retail US service. EMS via Post AG is the budget pick; DHL Express is the speed pick.
How can I save on shipping costs as a business in Austria?
Three levers. First, negotiate a business contract: most carriers (DPD, GLS, DHL, UPS, FedEx) discount 15 to 40% on monthly volume above ~50 parcels. Second, use Eurosender as a multi-carrier aggregator to compare GLS, DPD, and UPS rates per shipment without separate contracts. Third, match the tier to the shipment: Hermes or GLS for low-value e-commerce, Post AG for domestic letters and small parcels, DPD or DHL for pan-EU, and reserve DHL Express or FedEx only for time-critical international.
Source: provider public price sheets and shipping calculators (post.at, dhl.com/at, dpd.com/at, gls-austria.com, ups.com/at, fedex.com, hermesworld.com, eurosender.com), April 2026. Indicative retail prices; business contracts typically discount 15 to 40% on volume. For curated Top-7 rankings with affiliate CTAs, see our Best Postal and Shipping Services in Austria guide.