Weekly Meal Plan Austria 2026: Cooking Cheap with HOFER, BILLA and SPAR
Short answer: Meal planning in Austria works the same way it does anywhere, on a different clock and with a different set of chains. HOFER switches on Thursday, BILLA on Wednesday or Thursday, SPAR on Thursday. Buy the base at HOFER, take the fresh promotions at BILLA, and two people land at 50 to 60 euro a week.
Why a German plan does not transfer
- Different chains. Aldi trades as HOFER. REWE trades as BILLA and BILLA PLUS. SPAR is a major group here and gone from Germany entirely. Edeka, Kaufland and Netto do not exist in Austria.
- Different clock. Germany switches on Monday. Austria switches on Wednesday and Thursday. Planning on a Sunday means planning against an expiring leaflet.
- Different price level. Groceries cost noticeably more in Austria, but the spread between discounter and full-service is wider, so leaflet discipline pays off more.
The Austrian retail landscape
| Group | Chains | Role in the plan |
|---|---|---|
| HOFER (Aldi Süd) | HOFER | staples, meat, own brands |
| REWE Group Austria | BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY, ADEG | fresh produce, brand promotions |
| SPAR Austria | SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, SPAR Gourmet | dense store network, regional produce |
| Regional | MPREIS (Tyrol), Unimarkt, Nah&Frisch | local convenience |
| Discount | Lidl Austria | second discounter next to HOFER |
Three matter for a weekly plan: HOFER for the base, BILLA or BILLA PLUS for fresh produce and promotions, SPAR for proximity and regional goods.
The leaflet calendar
| Chain | Starts | Runs to |
|---|---|---|
| HOFER | Thursday, extra promotions Monday | Saturday of the following week |
| BILLA | Wednesday or Thursday | Tuesday |
| BILLA PLUS | Wednesday or Thursday | Tuesday |
| SPAR | Thursday | Wednesday |
| PENNY | Thursday | Wednesday |
Planning day is Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, not Sunday. That is the single biggest adjustment for anyone following German guides.
Example week for two
Say the leaflet has: chicken breast 1 kg (€7.99), minced meat 500 g (€3.99), potatoes 2 kg (€2.49), onions 1.5 kg (€1.79), peppers 500 g (€1.99), mushrooms 400 g (€1.79), yoghurt 500 g (€1.29), tinned tomatoes 3-pack (€1.79).
| Day | Dish | Main ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Chicken with roast potatoes | chicken, potatoes |
| Friday | Meatballs with mashed potatoes | minced meat, potatoes |
| Saturday | Paprika chicken with rice | peppers, chicken |
| Sunday | Mushroom ragout with dumplings | mushrooms |
| Monday | Tomato sugo with pasta | tinned tomatoes |
| Tuesday | Potato goulash | potatoes, onions |
| Wednesday | Leftovers with yoghurt dip | yoghurt |
Roughly €50 to €60, including a share of pantry items like oil, pasta, rice, flour and spices. About €3.80 per portion.
Potatoes appear in four dishes, onions in five. That overlap is the actual saving, not any single discounted price.
Two shops instead of one
In Germany a second shop rarely pays off, because the price spread is small. In Austria it is wider and city stores sit close together. A simple split:
- HOFER for staples, meat, dairy, own brands.
- BILLA or BILLA PLUS for the week's fresh promotions and whichever brands are in the leaflet.
- SPAR when it is closer than both, especially outside cities.
Buying only promoted items at the second shop usually covers the detour within three or four positions.
How Flyva handles it
Flyva reads the current HOFER, BILLA and BILLA PLUS leaflets, groups the discounted ingredients and builds a weekly plan with a matching shopping list, adjusted to household size, budget and diet. Dishes share ingredients so the large promotional pack is worth buying.
SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, MPREIS, PENNY, Lidl Austria, ADEG and Unimarkt already show in the app's store finder, marked coming soon.
Live overviews: HOFER, BILLA and BILLA PLUS.
Bottom line
The method is the same as in Germany, the calendar and the chains are not. Move planning day from Sunday to Wednesday, use HOFER as the base, and stay disciplined about buying only promotions at the full-service supermarket. Two people land at 50 to 60 euro a week.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Austrian supermarkets does Flyva cover?
Flyva currently reads the HOFER, BILLA and BILLA PLUS leaflets and builds weekly plans from them. SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, MPREIS, PENNY, Lidl Austria, ADEG and Unimarkt already appear in the app's store finder, marked as coming soon.
When do Austrian leaflets start?
HOFER switches on Thursday, with extra promotions starting Monday. BILLA and BILLA PLUS switch on Wednesday or Thursday and run to Tuesday. SPAR switches on Thursday. That is a different rhythm from Germany, where most chains start on Monday.
What does a week of cooking cost in Austria for two people?
Planning around the leaflets, two people land at roughly 50 to 60 euro for seven dinners. Austrian grocery prices sit noticeably above German ones, but the gap between discounter and full-service supermarket is wider, so planning saves more.
Is it worth combining HOFER and BILLA?
More so than in Germany. HOFER covers staples and meat at discounter prices, BILLA runs the deeper fresh-produce and brand promotions. Buying the base at HOFER and only the promoted items at BILLA saves a double-digit amount per week.
Why can't I use a German leaflet in Austria?
Austria has its own price level, its own leaflets and a retail structure dominated by three groups. A German leaflet is not usable for a shop in Vienna or Graz, which is why Flyva ingests the Austrian leaflets separately.