Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Leoben

For one person, living is cheaper in Leoben: $2,183 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Leoben
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,183
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Leoben

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 Leoben actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,183 in Leoben.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Leoben $2,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $3,128 in Leoben.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Leoben $3,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $4,072 in Leoben.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Leoben $4,072

Living in Barcelona is roughly 9% more expensive than in Leoben, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Leoben 61% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$17.92 €15.94
-0.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$55.8 €49.65
18.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$12.42 €11.04
10.23%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$3.72 €3.31
-17.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$3.34 €2.97
-8.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.21 €1.97
-12.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$4.79 €4.26
-19.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$4.70 €4.18
-1.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.48 €1.32
-12.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.97 €1.76
6.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$1.50 €1.34
22.00%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$4.52 €4.02
2.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$12.05 €10.72
44.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$12.64 €11.24
-26.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$23.14 €20.58
-14.30%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$2.32 €2.06
29.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.01 €1.79
1.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.27 €2.02
16.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$2.77 €2.46
3.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.79 €1.60
20.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.61 €1.44
33.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.40 €1.24
5.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.48 €0.42
83.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$7.07 €6.29
-1.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$5.20 €4.62
50.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.26 €1.12
10.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$0.95 €0.85
176.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
$3.50 €3.11
-16.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
$63.5 €56.5
-59.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$5.05 €4.50
-40.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.82 €2.51
-48.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$40.91 €36.39
-18.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.75 €1.55
6.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$29.1K €25.8K
11.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$27.9K €24.8K
13.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$415 €369
-56.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$18.61 €16.55
-26.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$40.65 €36.16
-18.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
$41.80 €37.19
30.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
$23.10 €20.55
-28.48%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$10.93 €9.72
2.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$102 €90.3
839.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$8,356 €7,433
98.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$49.73 €44.23
72.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$24.34 €21.65
60.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$86.6 €77.0
19.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$65.6 €58.4
80.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$931 €829
82.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$853 €758
49.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$1,557 €1,385
65.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$1,403 €1,248
36.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
$7,031 €6,254
3.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
$5,822 €5,178
-13.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Leoben
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$2,659 €2,365
-16.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.41
-3.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Leoben: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Leoben
$853 33.2% $424
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Leoben
$313 3.9% $13
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Leoben
$281 4.2% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Leoben
$475 107% $245
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Leoben
$102 34.9% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Leoben
$64 17.5% $13
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Leoben
$97 104% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $931 in Leoben. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leoben pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Leoben for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $313 per month, with Leoben cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇦🇹 Leoben
🕒 Local time
06:57 6:57 AM
06:57 6:57 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
24,645
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Leoben 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Leoben

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 Leoben: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Leoben?
Barcelona and Leoben differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $2,183 including rent). Leoben is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Leoben. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Leoben?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $931 in Leoben. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Leoben?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $102 in Leoben. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,183 in Leoben versus $2,381 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Leoben?
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.
Is Barcelona or Leoben safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Leoben?
Expats usually find Leoben gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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