Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,081 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,143 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,204 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$22.91 €19.57

-23.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$94.1 €80.4

-26.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$13.73 €11.73

0.15%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.15 €3.54

-33.49%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$3.07 €2.62

-9.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.98 €2.55

-31.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$5.91 €5.05

-22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$5.89 €5.03

-22.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.31 €1.12

-2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.67 €2.28

-20.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.30 €1.96

-14.35%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$4.10 €3.50

-16.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$16.38 €13.99

14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$11.97 €10.22

-21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$18.43 €15.74

3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$3.00 €2.56

-9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.37 €2.02

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.71 €2.31

-23.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.15 €2.69

-12.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.88 €1.61

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.15 €1.84

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.31 €1.12

15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.97 €0.82

-7.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$12.31 €10.51

-45.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$9.44 €8.06

-20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.02 €1.73

-28.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.06 €2.61

-21.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.85 €2.43

6.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$56.5 €48.22

-49.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$7.30 €6.23

-39.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.44 €2.08

-15.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$34.87 €29.78

-15.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.91 €1.63

-1.05%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$33.1K €28.3K

16.93%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$36.3K €31.0K

-10.96%

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

$189 €161

$232 €198

-18.68%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$21.33 €18.21

4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$50.7 €43.26

-27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$38.23 €32.65

51.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$16.94 €14.47

23.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$14.89 €12.72

-25.79%

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

$726 €620

$569 €486

27.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$13.6K €11.6K

11.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$107 €91.5

-17.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$49.84 €42.56

-25.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$108 €92.2

-4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$152 €130

-21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$906 €774

68.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$744 €635

63.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$1,329 €1,135

110.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$1,079 €921

87.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$3,615 €3,087

96.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$2,524 €2,155

92.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$2,351 €2,008

2.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.65

-7.12%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $906 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $94.0 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $347 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,081 including rent). Sint-Pieters-Leeuw is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 2% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $906 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $569 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,081 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sint-Pieters-Leeuw 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 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw 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 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.