Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Villingen-Schwenningen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Villingen-Schwenningen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,962 in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,967 in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,973 in Villingen-Schwenningen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Villingen-Schwenningen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Villingen-Schwenningen 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$16.24 €13.96

13.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$59.0 €50.7

17.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$10.44 €8.97

35.34%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.56 €3.06

-12.08%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.44 €2.95

-12.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.30 €1.98

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.24 €4.51

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$4.78 €4.11

-0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.24 €1.92

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.51 €3.02

-51.85%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.68 €2.30

83.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$10.18 €8.75

75.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$11.38 €9.79

-15.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$15.73 €13.53

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.09 €2.65

4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.67 €1.44

30.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.19 €1.88

21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.97 €3.41

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.23 €1.06

79.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.28 €1.10

71.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.40 €1.21

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.10 €0.94

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$9.67 €8.31

-26.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$4.01 €3.44

102.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.27 €1.09

18.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.64 €1.41

69.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.39 €2.91

-7.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$70.2 €60.3

-61.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$5.23 €4.50

-37.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.86 €2.46

-47.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$44.98 €38.67

-22.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.20 €1.89

-20.45%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$34.2K €29.4K

7.08%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$39.9K €34.3K

-22.49%

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

$188 €161

$501 €431

-62.57%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$16.41 €14.11

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$47.29 €40.66

-20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$41.20 €35.42

38.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$22.30 €19.17

-24.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$10.34 €8.89

11.99%

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

$1,003 €862

$272 €233

269.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$17.5K €15.0K

-2.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$90.4 €77.7

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$63.1 €54.2

-35.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$115 €99.2

-4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$110 €94.8

11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$842 €724

98.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$467 €402

184.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,540 €1,324

68.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,181 €1,015

65.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,553 €3,914

66.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$3,653 €3,141

46.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$4,264 €3,666

-43.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.81

-17.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Villingen-Schwenningen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $842 in Villingen-Schwenningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Villingen-Schwenningen pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in Villingen-Schwenningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $291 per month, with Villingen-Schwenningen 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 Villingen-Schwenningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Villingen-Schwenningen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,962 including rent). Villingen-Schwenningen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Villingen-Schwenningen. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $842 in Villingen-Schwenningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $272 in Villingen-Schwenningen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,962 in Villingen-Schwenningen versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Villingen-Schwenningen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Villingen-Schwenningen 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 Villingen-Schwenningen 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 Villingen-Schwenningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.