Here's the top 15 areas, from the least to the most expensive. Prices given are the average cost of property in the area, per square metre (according to immobilienscout24).
Sölden, Tyrol
Price: €3,750
This is where the Alpine Ski World Cup traditionally begins, at the end of October. Its population of around 3,450 is vastly outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated. It has 39 ski lifts, taking you to an elevation of 3,250 metres.
Obertauern, Salzburg state
Price: €3,811
Obertauern lies in the Radstädter Tauern mountains, between 1,630 and 2,526 metres above sea level. The community is separated into the two municipalities of Untertauern (Pongau) and Tweng (Lungau). It’s one of the most popular destinations for winter sports in Austria.
Flachau, Salzburg state
Price: €3,814
Flachau is home to alpine skier Hermann Maier, a four-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist. Its numerous skiing facilities are part of the Ski Amade network of ski areas, one of the largest in Europe.
Alpbachtal, Tyrol
Price: €4,001
This includes the village of Alpbach, as well as Reith, Inneralpbach and the Wildschönau valley. Alpbach is known as the most beautiful village in Austria, dotted with traditional timber-clad chalets. It’s also the venue for the Alpbach European Forum, an annual two-week conference of leading figures from the worlds of science, business, the arts, and politics.
Schladming, Styria
Price: €4,260
This former mining town is now a popular tourist destination for winter sports. It has held various skiing competitions, including the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1982 and 2013. The local peak for winter sports is the Planai.
Zell am See/Kaprun, Salzburg state
Price: €4,275
This vast ski area is well known for its glacier, the Kitzsteinhorn. In 2000 the Kaprun funicular railway caught fire in a tunnel, and 155 skiers lost their lives. On the Kitzsteinhorn glacier you can ski and snowboard on snow-covered slopes for ten months of the year.
Zillertal Arena, Tyrol
Price: €4,318
The largest ski area in the Zillertal valley, extending from the village Zell im Zillertal via Gerlos to Wald-Königsleiten and Krimml-Hochkrimml. It has 143 kilometres of piste and 52 lifts that can transport 85,000 people every hour.
Brixental – Wilder Kaiser, Tyrol
Price: €5,072
One of the largest and most modern ski resorts in the world, located in in the northern Kitzbühel Alps. Nine villages provide direct access to more than 284 kilometres of ski runs.
Saalbach – Hinterglemm, Salzburg state
Price: €5,320
A ‘ski-circus’ links these two villages, with lifts and runs on both sides of the valley. At the eastern end is a long-standing link to Leogang, in the next valley, and above Hinterglemm is a new link with Fieberbrunn.
Silvretta Montafon, Vorarlberg
Price: €5,455
This award-winning ski area features Black Scorpions (extremely steep slopes) and 37 cableways and lifts as well as 141 kilometres of prepared pistes.
Katschberg, Carinthia/Salzburg
Price: €5,677
Something of an insider tip among ski resorts in Austria. It has only 16 lifts, but has good snow coverage in the winter and two peaks. The border between Carinthia and Salzburgerland runs through the centre of town.
Kitzbühel, Tyrol
Price: €5,972
Famous for the Hahnenkamm, the scariest downhill race on the World Cup circuit. Each January the world’s finest skiers gather in this beautiful medieval town to compete on Der Streif, the name of the actual race course on the Hahnenkamm mountain. The best snow is usually in the last week of January and in February.
St. Anton, Tyrol
Price: €6,420
Rated among the top five resorts in the Alps, St. Anton is located in Austria’s Arlberg region, one of Europe’s snowiest areas. It has 340km of pistes, 200km of off-piste itineraries and over 55km² of challenging off-piste terrain.
Lech, Vorarlberg
Price: €6,421
Princess Diana used to ski here and other past visitors include the Jordanian royal family, the Dutch royal family and Monaco’s Princess Caroline. It shares its ski area with the smaller village of Zürs and Warth-Schröcken and is reliably snowy.
Ischgl, Tyrol
Price: €6,538
Known for its quality pistes and its vibrant nightlife. Ischgl’s famous start- and end-of-season Top of the Mountain concerts attract an A-list of international stars. This season opened with a concert from German band PUR and will close with Italian superstar Zucchero.