Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katy, TX and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Katy, TX and in Barcelona: $2,451 and $2,443 a month, rent and utilities included.

Katy, TX, United States
Barcelona, Spain
Katy, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,451
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Katy, TX and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Katy, TX and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,451 in Katy, TX versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

  • Katy, TX $2,451
  • Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,581 in Katy, TX versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

  • Katy, TX $3,581
  • Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,711 in Katy, TX versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

  • Katy, TX $4,711
  • Barcelona $4,595

Monthly costs are close between Katy, TX and Barcelona; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Katy, TX 81% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.88 $16.88
$17.66 €15.69
-4.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.6 $60.6
$67.5 €59.9
-10.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.85 $8.85
$13.61 €12.09
-34.97%
Cappuccino
$3.49 $3.49
$3.10 €2.75
12.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$3.00 €2.67
-34.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.93 €1.71
10.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.07 $4.07
$3.84 €3.41
5.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 $5.53
$4.36 €3.87
26.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.25 €1.11
-24.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.53 $3.53
$2.12 €1.89
66.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.97 €1.75
55.33%
Eggs
$3.05 $3.05
$4.76 €4.23
-35.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$17.07 €15.16
-23.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 $9.66
$8.96 €7.96
7.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.72 $16.72
$20.65 €18.34
-19.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$3.16 €2.81
21.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.97 €1.75
-37.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$2.65 €2.36
17.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.88 €2.56
12.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.06 €1.83
1.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.18 €1.94
14.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.53 €1.36
16.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 $1.22
$0.97 €0.86
25.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.68 $9.68
$6.97 €6.19
38.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.75 $12.75
$7.89 €7.01
61.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.42 €1.26
19.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.69 €2.39
-41.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.02 $2.02
$3.31 €2.94
-38.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 $107
$25.61 €22.75
316.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 $2.68
$3.08 €2.74
-12.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.48 €1.32
6.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.07 $35.07
$32.87 €29.20
6.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.87 €1.66
-54.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K $32.3K
$33.0K €29.3K
-1.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$31.9K €28.4K
-23.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$246 $246
$183 €162
34.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$14.24 €12.65
313.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.7 $70.7
$34.56 €30.70
104.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.59 $25.59
$51.4 €45.68
-50.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.19 $25.19
$16.38 €14.55
53.79%
Cinema Ticket
$11.91 $11.91
$11.06 €9.83
7.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,009 $1,009
$944 €838
6.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K $17.8K
$22.3K €19.8K
-20.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$87.7 €77.9
-39.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.00 $43.00
$38.77 €34.44
10.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$105 €92.9
-16.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 $109
$118 €105
-7.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,544 $1,544
$1,697 €1,507
-9.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 $1,186
$1,337 €1,187
-11.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,750 $2,750
$2,692 €2,391
2.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,026 $2,026
$2,077 €1,845
-2.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,098 $2,098
$7,155 €6,356
-70.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 $1,542
$5,079 €4,512
-69.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Katy, TX
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,102 $4,102
$2,241 €1,991
83.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.41
3.19
100.94%

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

Last update for Katy, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Katy, TX
$1.2K
Barcelona
$1.3K 12.7% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Katy, TX
$375
Barcelona
$232 38.3% $144
Groceries & Markets
Katy, TX
$332
Barcelona
$328 1.4% $4.7
Eating Out
Katy, TX
$251
Barcelona
$267 6.3% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Katy, TX
$131
Barcelona
$157 19.5% $26
Getting Around
Katy, TX
$125
Barcelona
$49 60.7% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Katy, TX
$49
Barcelona
$74 48.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,544 in Katy, TX and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Katy, TX pays 83% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Katy, TX vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $328, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Katy, TX
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
07:29 7:29 AM
14:29 2:29 PM
7 h ahead of Katy, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,102
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Katy, TX Barcelona 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Katy, TX
  • Barcelona

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
Katy, TX vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Katy, TX or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 83% higher in Katy, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Katy, TX and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,544 in Katy, TX versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Katy, TX and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $1,009 in Katy, TX versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do commuting costs compare in Katy, TX and in Barcelona?
A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 76% less than in Katy, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How far does $3,000 go in Katy, TX compared to Barcelona?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Katy, TX and Barcelona?
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 Katy, TX or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Katy, TX and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Katy, TX and Barcelona?
It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Katy, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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