Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,756 in Townsville versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,042 in Townsville versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,328 in Townsville versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Townsville is roughly 11% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Townsville 101% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.06 A$29.56

$18.74 €16.32

12.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 A$96.9

$69.5 €60.5

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 A$17.27

$13.77 €11.99

-10.68%

Cappuccino

$3.64 A$5.11

$3.10 €2.70

17.42%

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

$2.66 A$3.73

$2.83 €2.47

-6.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.42

$1.88 €1.64

29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.81 A$12.36

$3.98 €3.47

121.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$9.96

$4.53 €3.95

56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.57

$1.27 €1.11

44.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.25

$2.16 €1.88

6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 A$2.04

$1.76 €1.53

-17.61%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.41

$5.13 €4.47

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 A$11.20

$17.88 €15.57

-55.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 A$14.18

$9.65 €8.41

4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 A$18.95

$20.15 €17.55

-33.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.72

$3.25 €2.83

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.77

$2.23 €1.94

20.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 A$5.05

$2.60 €2.27

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.08

$2.76 €2.40

56.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$2.21 €1.93

22.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.83

$2.12 €1.84

28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.35

$1.55 €1.35

54.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 A$2.96

$0.95 €0.83

122.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.45 A$42.74

$7.34 €6.40

314.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 A$15.19

$8.05 €7.01

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$7.11 A$9.97

$1.54 €1.35

361.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 A$12.25

$2.79 €2.43

212.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 A$3.14

$3.11 €2.71

-27.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 A$114

$25.86 €22.53

212.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 A$5.46

$3.27 €2.85

18.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 A$3.42

$1.48 €1.29

64.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.4 A$76.3

$34.27 €29.85

58.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.68

$1.73 €1.51

-30.64%

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

$28.8K A$40.4K

$36.4K €31.7K

-20.80%

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

$35.4K A$49.7K

$30.5K €26.6K

15.90%

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

$389 A$546

$187 €163

107.76%

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

$36.84 A$51.7

$15.14 €13.19

143.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 A$95.6

$37.69 €32.82

80.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 A$78.6

$55.9 €48.72

0.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.58 A$28.88

$17.08 €14.88

20.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 A$22.08

$11.41 €9.94

37.86%

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

$2,146 A$3,012

$997 €868

115.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.5K

$16.5K €14.4K

27.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 A$136

$92.6 €80.7

4.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 A$99.1

$41.22 €35.91

71.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 A$231

$111 €96.9

47.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$189

$125 €109

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 A$1,849

$1,707 €1,487

-22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 A$1,669

$1,286 €1,120

-7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 A$3,679

$2,565 €2,234

2.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 A$2,955

$1,942 €1,691

8.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,955 A$6,956

$7,647 €6,661

-35.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,175 A$5,861

$5,167 €4,500

-19.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,213 A$5,913

$2,348 €2,046

79.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.16

75.32%

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

Last update for Townsville: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,317 in Townsville and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Townsville pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Townsville vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $336, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Townsville vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Townsville and Barcelona differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,756 vs $2,476 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Townsville, 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: $1,317 in Townsville versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,146 in Townsville versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Townsville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Townsville 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Townsville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.