Cost of Living Comparison Between Krems and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Krems and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,048 in Krems versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,100 in Krems versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Krems versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Krems costs roughly 17% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krems 49% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.05

$18.42 €15.88

-5.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 €70.3

$69.4 €59.8

17.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 €11.05

$14.05 €12.11

-8.83%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €3.94

$3.11 €2.68

46.95%

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

$3.56 €3.07

$2.96 €2.55

20.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.45

$1.95 €1.69

45.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 €5.44

$3.99 €3.44

58.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$4.62 €3.98

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.32 €1.14

21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.11 €1.82

11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.83 €1.57

-1.64%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.25

$5.16 €4.45

-26.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.78 €16.19

$17.56 €15.14

6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 €8.08

$9.50 €8.19

-1.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.62 €18.63

$19.93 €17.18

8.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$3.17 €2.73

-8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.21 €1.91

10.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.47

$2.61 €2.25

9.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 €4.95

$2.85 €2.46

101.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.17 €1.87

-17.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$2.11 €1.81

1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.62 €1.39

25.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.88 €0.76

-11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.24 €6.24

$7.17 €6.18

0.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 €6.57

$8.33 €7.18

-8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.57

$1.50 €1.29

-55.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.75 €2.37

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.20

$3.14 €2.70

-18.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 €46.83

$26.25 €22.63

106.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 €6.52

$3.22 €2.78

134.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.51 €1.30

-21.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.77 €24.80

$35.26 €30.39

-18.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.75 €1.51

7.43%

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

$31.3K €26.9K

$36.7K €31.6K

-14.75%

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

$29.7K €25.6K

$31.7K €27.3K

-6.16%

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

$300 €259

$187 €161

60.31%

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

$10.42 €8.98

$15.10 €13.01

-30.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.07 €35.40

$37.60 €32.41

9.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 €51.1

$55.5 €47.83

6.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 €12.25

$11.71 €10.09

21.35%

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

$474 €409

$1,011 €871

-53.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.7K

$17.1K €14.7K

-13.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.0

$91.4 €78.8

12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 €35.40

$41.00 €35.34

0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €107

$111 €95.3

11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$126 €109

4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 €613

$1,704 €1,469

-58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 €591

$1,299 €1,120

-47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,308

$2,588 €2,231

-41.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 €1,086

$1,929 €1,663

-34.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,784 €2,400

$2,374 €2,046

17.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

3.16

15.82%

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

Last update for Krems: September 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $711 in Krems and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krems pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Krems vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $333 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

Krems vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krems and Barcelona differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,048 vs $2,482 including rent). Krems is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Krems, 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: $711 in Krems versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Krems versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,048 in Krems versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krems but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Krems 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, Krems and Barcelona 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 Krems gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.