Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Vienna versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Vienna versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,701 in Vienna versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vienna 74% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €14.99

$17.45 €14.88

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €72.8

$69.8 €59.6

22.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.73

$13.91 €11.86

-17.97%

Cappuccino

$5.06 €4.32

$2.74 €2.34

84.67%

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

$3.55 €3.03

$2.70 €2.30

31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.62

$2.03 €1.73

51.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €4.86

$4.51 €3.85

26.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.31

$4.61 €3.93

9.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.28 €1.09

35.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 €2.37

$2.10 €1.79

32.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.34

$1.99 €1.70

37.69%

Eggs

$4.46 €3.81

$3.45 €2.95

29.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.04 €14.53

$18.61 €15.87

-8.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.98 €12.78

$9.41 €8.03

59.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.74 €20.25

$18.70 €15.95

26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.53

$2.61 €2.22

13.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €2.99

$2.19 €1.86

59.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.56

$2.81 €2.40

48.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.03 €1.73

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.87 €1.60

11.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.45 €1.24

35.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.73

$0.92 €0.79

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.70 €6.57

$6.82 €5.82

12.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.11

$7.71 €6.58

8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.38 €1.18

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.72

$2.33 €1.99

-13.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 €2.30

$2.88 €2.46

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.74 €33.90

$29.04 €24.77

36.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.04

$4.43 €3.78

7.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.14 €1.82

-3.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.90 €33.18

$28.96 €24.71

34.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.90 €1.62

0.53%

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

$31.5K €26.9K

$37.9K €32.3K

-16.85%

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

$33.0K €28.1K

$33.3K €28.4K

-1.04%

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

$329 €280

$186 €158

76.95%

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

$16.94 €14.45

$22.17 €18.91

-23.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.09 €34.20

$36.52 €31.15

9.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.09

$58.4 €49.81

-17.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 €22.08

$20.75 €17.70

24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 €11.82

$11.10 €9.47

24.86%

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

$329 €280

$705 €601

-53.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K €19.8K

$15.2K €13.0K

52.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.0

$86.4 €73.7

16.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.92 €38.32

$36.88 €31.46

21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.0

$104 €88.8

-3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €136

$115 €98.4

37.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 €1,053

$1,538 €1,312

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €747

$1,242 €1,060

-29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 €1,943

$2,728 €2,327

-16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,423

$2,011 €1,716

-17.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K €11.9K

$7,155 €6,104

94.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,419 €5,476

$4,843 €4,131

32.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,582 €3,055

$2,474 €2,111

44.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.39

6.19%

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

Last update for Vienna: April 22, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Vienna and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vienna pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Vienna vs $70 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $318 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

Vienna vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vienna pays 45% more on average, 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: $1,235 in Vienna versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Vienna versus $705 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Vienna. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,337 in Vienna, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Vienna. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Vienna 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.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Vienna on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.