Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, MN and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,529 in Austin, MN, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, MN despite lower rent and utilities.

Austin, MN, United States
Barcelona, Spain
Austin, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,529
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, MN and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, MN and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Austin, MN vs $2,443 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Austin, MN $2,529
  • Barcelona $2,443

A couple spends around $3,726 per month in Austin, MN vs $3,519 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Austin, MN $3,726
  • Barcelona $3,519

A family of three spends $4,923 per month in Austin, MN vs $4,595 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Austin, MN $4,923
  • Barcelona $4,595

Austin, MN costs about 4% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Austin, MN and Barcelona sit above the global median – Austin, MN by 87%, Barcelona by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.85 $19.85
$17.66 €15.75
12.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.2 $99.2
$67.5 €60.2
46.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.06 $12.06
$13.61 €12.14
-11.39%
Cappuccino
$4.90 $4.90
$3.10 €2.77
58.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 $2.98
$3.00 €2.68
-0.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.93 €1.72
5.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.85 $4.85
$3.84 €3.43
26.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 $5.68
$4.36 €3.89
30.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.25 €1.11
-34.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.12 €1.90
35.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.97 €1.76
-0.51%
Eggs
$2.55 $2.55
$4.76 €4.25
-46.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.65 $9.65
$17.07 €15.22
-43.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 $6.65
$8.96 €7.99
-25.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.85 $18.85
$20.65 €18.42
-8.72%
Apples (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$3.16 €2.82
72.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 $1.18
$1.97 €1.75
-40.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.65 €2.37
38.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 $1.68
$2.88 €2.57
-41.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.06 €1.84
21.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.18 €1.95
1.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.53 €1.37
-4.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.97 €0.87
110.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.11 $10.11
$6.97 €6.21
45.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.05 $3.05
$7.89 €7.04
-61.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.42 €1.26
19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$2.69 €2.40
11.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.83 $1.83
$3.31 €2.95
-44.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.7 $53.7
$25.61 €22.84
109.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.05 $2.05
$3.08 €2.75
-33.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.48 €1.32
-18.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.10 $20.10
$32.87 €29.32
-38.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.87 €1.66
-45.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$33.0K €29.4K
-19.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$31.9K €28.5K
-20.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$183 €163
2.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.1 $52.1
$14.24 €12.70
265.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.6 $75.6
$34.56 €30.83
118.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.21 $42.21
$51.4 €45.87
-17.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.38 €14.62
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.15 $10.15
$11.06 €9.87
-8.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,304 $1,304
$944 €842
38.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.9K $14.9K
$22.3K €19.9K
-32.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.8 $76.8
$87.7 €78.2
-12.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.0 $55.0
$38.77 €34.59
41.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$105 €93.3
-1.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 $164
$118 €105
39.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,456 $1,456
$1,697 €1,514
-14.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,299 $1,299
$1,337 €1,192
-2.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,523 $2,523
$2,692 €2,401
-6.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,075 $2,075
$2,077 €1,853
-0.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,441 $2,441
$7,155 €6,382
-65.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,247 $2,247
$5,079 €4,530
-55.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, MN
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,241 €1,999
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
3.19
105.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, MN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, MN
$1.3K
Barcelona
$1.3K 2.9% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, MN
$315
Barcelona
$232 26.5% $84
Eating Out
Austin, MN
$310
Barcelona
$267 13.7% $43
Groceries & Markets
Austin, MN
$294
Barcelona
$328 11.5% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, MN
$179
Barcelona
$157 12.6% $23
Getting Around
Austin, MN
$69
Barcelona
$49 28.5% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, MN
$63
Barcelona
$74 17.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,456 in Austin, MN versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Austin, MN versus $67 in Barcelona. Groceries tell a different story – $294 in Austin, MN vs $328 in Barcelona – so Austin, MN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, MN
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
08:56 8:56 AM
15:56 3:56 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, MN Barcelona 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, MN
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Austin, MN vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barcelona cheaper than Austin, MN?
Yes – Austin, MN is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Austin, MN and $3,664 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Austin, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,456 there versus $1,697 in Barcelona.
Is eating out cheaper in Austin, MN or in Barcelona?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Austin, MN and $67 in Barcelona. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Austin, MN and in Barcelona?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Austin, MN and $2,443 in Barcelona. That makes Barcelona about 3% cheaper.
Is $3,000 enough for either Austin, MN or Barcelona?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,529 in Austin, MN and $2,443 in Barcelona, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Austin, MN or in Barcelona?
It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,443 in Barcelona to $2,529 in Austin, MN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Austin, MN or Barcelona?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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