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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,801 in Leoben.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,014 in Leoben.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,227 in Leoben.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than in Leoben, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Leoben 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$20.92 €18.32

-15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$56.9 €49.80

22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$11.64 €10.19

21.65%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.51 €3.08

-20.23%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.97 €2.60

-5.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.56 €1.37

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.72 €4.14

-2.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.97 €3.48

18.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.47 €1.28

-16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.08 €2.70

-34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.27 €1.98

-12.78%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.11 €3.60

-15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$17.93 €15.71

2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$15.90 €13.92

-38.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$23.89 €20.93

-19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.36 €2.06

15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.24 €1.97

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.21 €1.93

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.81 €3.34

-27.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.22 €1.94

-11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.04 €1.79

-12.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.74 €1.52

-14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.71 €0.62

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.86 €6.01

3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.71 €5.88

17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.60 €1.40

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.70 €1.49

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.64 €3.19

-17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$63.9 €56.0

-54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.68 €4.97

-23.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.02 €0.89

108.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$29.14 €25.52

1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.78 €1.56

2.25%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.9K €18.3K

81.67%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$23.0K €20.1K

41.06%

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

$189 €166

$347 €304

-45.46%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$14.78 €12.94

50.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$37.81 €33.11

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.10 €32.49

56.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$40.10 €35.12

-48.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$13.14 €11.51

-17.28%

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

$706 €618

$216 €189

226.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,529 €3,967

228.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$52.2 €45.74

71.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.68 €30.38

5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$105 €91.8

-0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$128 €112

-7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$482 €422

227.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$409 €358

202.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,168 €1,023

132.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,282 €1,123

59.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,727 €2,388

-13.30%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Leoben: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $482 in Leoben. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leoben pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Leoben. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $380, 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 29% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,801 including rent). Leoben is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $482 in Leoben. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $216 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 $1,801 in Leoben versus $2,320 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 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.