Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Austin, TX

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.

38

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
130

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

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Barcelona

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$789

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Barcelona $789
Austin, TX $2,663

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

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

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

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

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 70% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.88 VES 8,673

$20.77 $20.77

-52.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.71 VES 27.8K

$84.6 $84.6

-62.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 VES 8,702

$12.32 $12.32

-19.56%

Cappuccino

$2.35 VES 2,059

$5.63 $5.63

-58.26%

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

$1.02 VES 897

$3.72 $3.72

-72.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 VES 598

$2.50 $2.50

-72.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 VES 903

$8.05 $8.05

-87.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 VES 1,726

$9.01 $9.01

-78.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 VES 1,803

$1.12 $1.12

83.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 VES 1,795

$3.75 $3.75

-45.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 VES 1,507

$3.26 $3.26

-47.24%

Eggs

$3.89 VES 3,411

$4.17 $4.17

-6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 VES 4,818

$12.90 $12.90

-57.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 VES 6,055

$14.16 $14.16

-51.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 VES 6,666

$16.22 $16.22

-53.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 VES 3,036

$4.33 $4.33

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 VES 1,508

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 VES 1,372

$4.51 $4.51

-65.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 VES 1,894

$4.34 $4.34

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 VES 1,308

$2.58 $2.58

-42.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 VES 1,278

$2.35 $2.35

-37.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 VES 1,514

$1.78 $1.78

-3.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 VES 1,796

$2.22 $2.22

-7.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 VES 2,951

$9.88 $9.88

-65.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 VES 9,562

$15.08 $15.08

-27.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 VES 630

$2.92 $2.92

-75.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 VES 1,768

$3.46 $3.46

-41.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 VES 151

$1.49 $1.49

-88.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.32 VES 10.8K

$41.72 $41.72

-70.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 VES 6,482

$2.73 $2.73

170.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 VES 943

$1.66 $1.66

-35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.95 VES 13.1K

$35.30 $35.30

-57.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 VES 420

$0.95 $0.95

-49.47%

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

$22.4K VES 19.6M

$36.0K $36.0K

-37.98%

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

$40.3K VES 35.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

48.86%

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

$50.4 VES 44.2K

$229 $229

-78.00%

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

$14.90 VES 13.1K

$59.4 $59.4

-74.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.70 VES 34.9K

$69.9 $69.9

-43.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.88 VES 26.2K

$57.2 $57.2

-47.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 VES 13.3K

$16.33 $16.33

-7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.88 VES 3,409

$14.28 $14.28

-72.83%

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

$65.2 VES 57.2K

$1,506 $1,506

-95.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 VES 52.9K

$52.8 $52.8

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 VES 37.7K

$43.82 $43.82

-1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 VES 56.7K

$84.8 $84.8

-23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 VES 53.2K

$103 $103

-41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 VES 175.1K

$1,907 $1,907

-89.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 VES 101.2K

$1,274 $1,274

-90.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 VES 324.8K

$3,664 $3,664

-89.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 VES 244.1K

$2,538 $2,538

-89.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$411 VES 361.1K

$7,614 $7,614

-94.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$240 VES 210.8K

$3,157 $3,157

-92.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 VES 232.1K

$5,121 $5,121

-94.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.12

6.79

240.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$250 31.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 61.8% $155

Eating Out

Barcelona

$153 19.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 132% $201

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$115 14.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1005% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$105 13.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 241% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$103 13%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 24.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$38 4.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 128% $48

Getting Around

Barcelona

$26 3.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 128% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Barcelona and $1,907 in Austin, TX. 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: $32.00 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $405 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

1 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

560,122

974,447

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

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).

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

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Barcelona
Austin, TX

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

Barcelona vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 1837% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $789 per month in Barcelona versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – 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.