Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $789 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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, TX and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $789 in Barcelona.

Austin, TX $2,663
Barcelona $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,300 in Barcelona.

Austin, TX $4,133
Barcelona $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,811 in Barcelona.

Austin, TX $5,603
Barcelona $1,811

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 237% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Barcelona is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.88 VES 8,673

110.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.71 VES 27.8K

166.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.91 VES 8,702

24.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.35 VES 2,059

139.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.02 VES 897

264.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.68 VES 598

267.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.03 VES 903

681.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.97 VES 1,726

357.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.05 VES 1,803

-45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.05 VES 1,795

82.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.72 VES 1,507

89.53%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.89 VES 3,411

7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.49 VES 4,818

134.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.90 VES 6,055

105.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.59 VES 6,666

113.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.46 VES 3,036

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 VES 1,508

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.56 VES 1,372

189.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.16 VES 1,894

100.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.49 VES 1,308

73.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.46 VES 1,278

60.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.72 VES 1,514

3.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.05 VES 1,796

8.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.36 VES 2,951

194.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.89 VES 9,562

38.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.72 VES 630

305.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.01 VES 1,768

72.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.17 VES 151

776.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.32 VES 10.8K

238.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$7.38 VES 6,482

-63.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.07 VES 943

55.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$14.95 VES 13.1K

136.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.48 VES 420

97.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.4K VES 19.6M

61.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.3K VES 35.4M

-32.82%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$229 $229

$50.4 VES 44.2K

354.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$14.90 VES 13.1K

298.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$39.70 VES 34.9K

76.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$29.88 VES 26.2K

91.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.14 VES 13.3K

7.86%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.88 VES 3,409

268.04%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$65.2 VES 57.2K

2209.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$60.2 VES 52.9K

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$42.95 VES 37.7K

2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$64.6 VES 56.7K

31.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$60.7 VES 53.2K

69.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$199 VES 175.1K

856.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$115 VES 101.2K

1005.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$370 VES 324.8K

890.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$278 VES 244.1K

812.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$411 VES 361.1K

1751.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$240 VES 210.8K

1214.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$264 VES 232.1K

1836.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

23.12

-70.63%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Barcelona

$115 14.6% 91% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Barcelona

$250 31.7% 38.2% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Barcelona

$105 13.3% 70.7% $253

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Barcelona

$153 19.4% 56.8% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Barcelona

$103 13% 19.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Barcelona

$38 4.8% 56.1% $48

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Barcelona

$26 3.3% 56.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $199 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1837% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $250 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇻🇪 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

22:38 10:38 PM

23:38 11:38 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

560,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Barcelona 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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, TX vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 237% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barcelona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1837% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $199 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $789 in Barcelona – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 239% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $789 in Barcelona versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.