Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Turnhout Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Turnhout

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,834 in Turnhout.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,636 in Turnhout.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,439 in Turnhout.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 28% more expensive than Turnhout, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Turnhout 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$17.54 €14.93

0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$63.5 €54.0

7.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$11.38 €9.69

22.67%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.67 €3.13

-24.80%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.86 €2.44

-3.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$2.54 €2.16

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.37 €2.87

34.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.62 €3.08

25.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$0.93 €0.79

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.09 €1.77

-2.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.00 €2.55

-36.33%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.46 €2.95

-2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$11.95 €10.17

53.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$10.16 €8.65

-7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$17.33 €14.75

9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.64 €2.24

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.26 €1.92

6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.01 €1.71

5.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$2.57 €2.19

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.14 €1.83

-4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.64 €1.40

8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.13 €0.96

30.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.24 €1.05

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$7.47 €6.35

-6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$5.40 €4.59

40.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.30 €1.11

10.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.08 €1.77

11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.92 €2.48

0.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$55.6 €47.34

-47.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.22 €5.30

-27.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$2.68 €2.28

-20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$34.99 €29.78

-17.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.91 €1.63

-1.05%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$29.9K €25.5K

30.44%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$28.1K €23.9K

15.27%

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

$189 €161

$185 €157

2.33%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$21.34 €18.16

4.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$48.37 €41.16

-24.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$75.7 €64.4

-23.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$17.29 €14.72

23.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$13.95 €11.87

-21.08%

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

$731 €622

$658 €560

11.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$13.6K €11.5K

9.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$94.0 €80.0

-5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$31.92 €27.16

17.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$68.5 €58.3

52.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$116 €98.4

0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$820 €698

89.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$697 €593

74.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,063 €905

163.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$920 €783

118.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,442 €2,929

108.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,562 €2,180

95.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,783 €2,368

-11.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

69.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Turnhout: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $820 in Turnhout. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turnhout pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $63 in Turnhout for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $293 per month, with Turnhout 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 Turnhout: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Turnhout differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,834 including rent). Turnhout is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Turnhout earns 13% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $820 in Turnhout. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $658 in Turnhout. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,834 in Turnhout versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Turnhout but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Turnhout 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 Turnhout 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 Turnhout gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.