Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
129

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

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/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: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Barcelona $2,381
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Barcelona $3,406
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Barcelona $4,431
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$20.63 $20.63

-13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$84.6 $84.6

-21.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$12.07 $12.07

13.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$5.48 $5.48

-44.16%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$3.80 $3.80

-19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.47 $2.47

-21.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$8.05 $8.05

-51.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$8.88 $8.88

-48.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.11 $1.11

17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.72 $3.72

-43.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$3.37 $3.37

-45.70%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$4.32 $4.32

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$13.13 $13.13

32.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$14.15 $14.15

-34.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$16.33 $16.33

21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$4.55 $4.55

-33.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.46 $1.46

39.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$4.71 $4.71

-43.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$4.15 $4.15

-30.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.58 $2.58

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.35 $2.35

-8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.77 $1.77

-16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$2.14 $2.14

-58.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$10.10 $10.10

-31.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$15.19 $15.19

-48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.82 $2.82

-50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$3.44 $3.44

-23.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$1.54 $1.54

88.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$40.99 $40.99

-37.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$2.80 $2.80

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.60 $1.60

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$34.34 $34.34

-3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.94 $0.94

97.87%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-4.82%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

18.45%

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

$183 €163

$223 $223

-17.92%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$58.9 $58.9

-76.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$70.6 $70.6

-53.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$57.7 $57.7

-5.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

$16.53 $16.53

-0.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$14.26 $14.26

-21.25%

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

$954 €849

$1,511 $1,511

-36.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

-20.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$51.3 $51.3

67.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$44.17 $44.17

-11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$87.0 $87.0

19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$104 $104

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$1,940 $1,940

-12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$1,316 $1,316

-3.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$3,664 $3,664

-29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$2,565 $2,565

-25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$7,354 $7,354

-0.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$3,129 $3,129

60.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$5,286 $5,286

-57.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.79

-51.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 3.1% $40

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 24.9% $81

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 29.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 53.6% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 17.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 11.7% $9.1

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 22.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 137% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $406 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Austin, TX 8,580 km ≈ 11 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 13% 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 137% 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Barcelona versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 61% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barcelona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,381 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barcelona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.