Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schwechat and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Schwechat: $2,284 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Schwechat, Austria
Barcelona, Spain
Schwechat
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,284
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Schwechat 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 Schwechat and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,284 in Schwechat versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Schwechat $2,284
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,370 in Schwechat versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Schwechat $3,370
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,456 in Schwechat versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Schwechat $4,456
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Schwechat costs roughly 7% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schwechat 68% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.94 €16.03
$17.59 €15.71
1.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.2 €69.8
$67.5 €60.3
15.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.47 €12.03
$13.53 €12.08
-0.44%
Cappuccino
$5.10 €4.55
$3.19 €2.85
59.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 €3.53
$2.91 €2.60
36.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 €2.91
$1.89 €1.69
72.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.78 €5.16
$4.01 €3.58
44.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 €4.75
$4.53 €4.05
17.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 €1.40
$1.31 €1.17
19.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.02 €1.80
7.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$1.85 €1.65
37.84%
Eggs
$4.50 €4.02
$4.83 €4.32
-6.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.45 €19.16
$16.74 €14.95
28.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.43 €12.89
$9.12 €8.14
58.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.76 €20.33
$19.64 €17.54
15.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 €2.52
$2.98 €2.66
-5.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.02 €1.80
9.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 €3.21
$2.70 €2.41
33.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.42 €6.63
$2.80 €2.50
165.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.09 €1.86
4.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.07 €1.85
-10.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.46 €1.30
29.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.94 €0.84
-12.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.21 €6.44
$6.87 €6.14
4.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.25 €7.37
$7.89 €7.04
4.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.41 €1.26
0.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.67
$2.54 €2.26
-26.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.85 €2.54
$3.14 €2.81
-9.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.1 €54.6
$25.45 €22.73
140.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.93 €4.40
$2.99 €2.67
64.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.49 €1.33
40.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.40 €39.66
$33.37 €29.81
33.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.80 €1.61
7.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K €26.2K
$33.2K €29.6K
-11.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K €27.9K
$31.7K €28.3K
-1.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$322 €288
$180 €161
78.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.92 €12.43
$13.84 €12.36
0.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.42
$33.70 €30.10
-2.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.19 €35.90
$51.5 €46.01
-21.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 €21.88
$15.96 €14.26
53.51%
Cinema Ticket
$14.95 €13.35
$10.99 €9.82
36.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$387 €345
$917 €819
-57.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.8K €24.9K
$16.5K €14.7K
68.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 €80.3
$87.0 €77.7
3.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.37 €34.27
$38.51 €34.39
-0.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 €81.1
$106 €94.5
-14.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €118
$120 €107
10.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 €874
$1,699 €1,518
-42.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$881 €787
$1,355 €1,211
-35.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,619 €1,446
$2,603 €2,325
-37.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 €1,250
$2,062 €1,842
-32.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,960 €6,217
$6,915 €6,176
0.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,937 €5,303
$5,128 €4,580
15.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Schwechat
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,345 €4,774
$2,211 €1,975
141.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
3.28
3.96%

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

Last update for Schwechat: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Schwechat
$881
Barcelona
$1.4K 53.8% $474
Groceries & Markets
Schwechat
$404
Barcelona
$322 20.4% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Schwechat
$369
Barcelona
$228 38.2% $141
Eating Out
Schwechat
$313
Barcelona
$268 14.5% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Schwechat
$158
Barcelona
$158 0.1% $0.1
Getting Around
Schwechat
$88
Barcelona
$48 44.8% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Schwechat
$70
Barcelona
$74 4.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Schwechat and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schwechat pays about 2.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78 in Schwechat vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $322 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇹 Schwechat
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
11:37 11:37 AM
11:37 11:37 AM
Same time as Schwechat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,351
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Schwechat Barcelona 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Schwechat
  • 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
Schwechat vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Schwechat and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,284 in Schwechat and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Schwechat is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Schwechat or Barcelona?
Average pay in Schwechat is about 2.4 times higher, 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 Schwechat and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Schwechat versus $1,699 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 Schwechat and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $387 in Schwechat versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Schwechat is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Schwechat 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 Schwechat or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Schwechat and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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