Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Leoben Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Leoben

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,784 in Leoben.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,971 in Leoben.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,158 in Leoben.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Leoben, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Leoben 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$20.55 €17.68

-14.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$57.7 €49.60

18.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$11.75 €10.11

19.66%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.60 €3.10

-22.78%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.87 €2.47

-2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.52 €1.31

35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.74 €4.07

-5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.96 €3.41

16.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.50 €1.29

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.11 €2.68

-34.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.33 €2.00

-17.60%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.02 €3.45

-17.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$18.09 €15.56

1.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$16.14 €13.88

-41.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$23.64 €20.34

-18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.29 €1.97

15.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.24 €1.93

9.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.18 €1.88

-2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.84 €3.30

-25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.14 €1.85

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.06 €1.77

-10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.78 €1.53

-17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.71 €0.61

18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.58 €5.66

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.58 €4.80

41.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.57 €1.35

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.78 €1.53

29.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.65 €3.14

-18.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$64.3 €55.3

-54.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$5.84 €5.02

-21.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.05 €0.91

97.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$28.92 €24.88

0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.71 €1.47

7.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.6K €17.7K

89.27%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$23.0K €19.8K

41.97%

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

$188 €162

$341 €293

-44.92%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$14.40 €12.39

59.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$38.38 €33.01

-4.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$37.34 €32.12

53.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$39.80 €34.24

-47.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$13.35 €11.48

-16.18%

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

$721 €620

$215 €185

235.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,468 €3,843

236.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.9 €44.61

66.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$34.75 €29.89

6.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$103 €88.8

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$125 €108

-7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$482 €414

218.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$411 €353

197.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,164 €1,001

131.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,270 €1,092

58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,759 €2,374

-14.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.75

23.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Leoben: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $482 in Leoben. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leoben pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Leoben. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $379, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Leoben: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Leoben differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,784 including rent). Leoben is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Leoben earns 17% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $482 in Leoben. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $215 in Leoben. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,784 in Leoben versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Leoben but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Leoben 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Leoben 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 Leoben gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.