Cost of Living Comparison Between Turnhout and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Turnhout and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,233 in Turnhout versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,247 in Turnhout versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,261 in Turnhout versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Turnhout costs roughly 10% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turnhout 63% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.03 €19.80

$18.39 €15.81

25.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €57.5

$69.2 €59.5

-3.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.41 €14.11

$14.13 €12.15

16.14%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$3.13 €2.69

35.78%

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

$3.23 €2.77

$3.02 €2.59

6.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.52

$1.96 €1.69

49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.74

$4.00 €3.44

37.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$4.76 €4.09

6.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.93

$1.25 €1.07

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.16 €1.86

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €1.98

$1.69 €1.45

36.69%

Eggs

$4.27 €3.68

$4.93 €4.24

-13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 €8.94

$17.88 €15.37

-41.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 €8.19

$9.61 €8.26

-0.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 €17.32

$19.34 €16.63

4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$3.24 €2.78

-10.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.18 €1.87

16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.67 €2.30

3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 €2.62

$2.77 €2.38

10.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.21 €1.90

3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.19 €1.88

-8.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.52 €1.31

-23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.92 €0.79

19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 €11.52

$7.12 €6.12

88.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 €4.44

$8.14 €6.99

-36.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.50 €1.29

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.78 €2.39

-7.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.47

$3.15 €2.71

-8.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €44.76

$26.99 €23.21

92.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.06

$3.25 €2.79

260.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.50 €1.29

99.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.4 €45.92

$34.89 €30.00

53.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.75 €1.50

10.86%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$36.7K €31.5K

2.37%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$30.9K €26.6K

13.46%

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

$227 €196

$188 €161

21.20%

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

$21.54 €18.52

$15.44 €13.27

39.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.05 €41.31

$37.80 €32.49

27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$129 €111

$57.2 €49.16

125.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.48 €20.18

$16.80 €14.44

39.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 €11.91

$11.58 €9.95

19.69%

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

$579 €498

$1,003 €862

-42.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K €19.3K

$17.0K €14.6K

32.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.1

$89.2 €76.7

25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 €43.03

$40.87 €35.14

22.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.6

$110 €94.5

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €127

$123 €105

20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 €811

$1,673 €1,438

-43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 €707

$1,331 €1,145

-38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,107

$2,596 €2,232

-50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,001

$1,950 €1,676

-40.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,678 €2,303

$2,402 €2,065

11.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.16

1.27%

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

Last update for Turnhout: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $943 in Turnhout and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turnhout pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Turnhout vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $332 per month, with Turnhout 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

Turnhout vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turnhout and Barcelona differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,233 vs $2,495 including rent). Turnhout is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Turnhout, 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: $943 in Turnhout versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Turnhout versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,233 in Turnhout versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Turnhout but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Turnhout 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, Turnhout 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 Turnhout gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.