blog shbarcelona catalĆ    blog shbarcelona franƧais   blog shbarcelona castellano   blog shbarcelona russian   blog shbarcelona russian   blog shbarcelona   blog shbarcelona   blog shbarcelona
Moving in

What is The Cost of Living in Barcelona?

Written by Miguel

As the world continues to become more and more like the global village idealized by Marshall McLuhan, itā€™s increasingly common for people to move abroad. Whether you are moving for educational or professional reasons, or even just to experience life somewhere different, one of the most important things you should think about before you do so is the cost of living in your destination.

  • rent barcelona

 

This will allow you to make a more informed decision, negotiate a more fitting salary with your potential employer abroad and just generally manage your money better. You can calculate your own monthly cost living in Barcelona by clicking directly on this link

In addition to calculate your monthly budget, you can check the average prices listing of daily products like food, clothing, museums, utilities, housing by district, etc. So, if youā€™re moving to Barcelona, we have good news.

How much is the cost of living in Barcelona

Despite all its awesomeness, Barcelona is currently only the 142nd most expensive place in the world to live.

view from the city towards the sea

Photo via Pixabay

Now, when it comes to your personal monthly cost of life in Barcelona, that will depend on your choices when it comes to housing, bills, grocery shopping, public transportation, leisure and entertainment (well, for these last two some people only really need a pack of crisps and a Netflix subscription, donā€™t they?).

Housing

Location, location, location ā€“ just like anywhere else, a less stellar house in a great location will cost you more than a fantastic house far from the center of the city. For a compromise, seek to stay in neighbourhoods like Les Corts, Eixample or Sagrada Familia. These are still somewhat well located and offer average rents.

9 blocks forming a house

Photo via Freepik

Whether you are looking for a short-term, monthly or yearly rental, ShBarcelona has what youā€™re looking for. The website is pretty easy to navigate, so browse through the different neighbourhoods, try different specifications and you should get a good idea of how much it would cost to fulfil your specific housing needs.

Bills

Standard utilities (water, electricity, gas and heating) will cost you an average of 70ā‚¬ a month. Add in the cheapest internet (38ā‚¬) and a basic mobile phone subscription (10ā‚¬) and youā€™re looking at a monthly cost of about 120ā‚¬ in this department. Not too bad, right?

Check out ShBarcelona’s rentals

Groceries

For a single person, the monthly cost will be around 150ā‚¬ if you buy from discount supermarkets like Spar and around 200ā‚¬ if you go to more expensive stores such as El Corte InglĆ©s or Carrefour.

supermarket

Photo via Pixabay

Public Transport

Single tickets cost 2,40ā‚¬ and are valid for all forms of transport ā€“ metro, trams, buses, and trains. You can also buy a 10-journey pass (T-Casual) for 11,35ā‚¬ or a monthly pass (T-Usual) for 40ā‚¬.

Other options for moving around are Bicing, the Barcelona public bike system (between 35 and 50ā‚¬ per year, depending on the subscription you choose) and taxis (who charge an average of 13ā‚¬ for an 8 km trip).

Restaurants

You have a lot of choices in this department, so you can easily adjust how much you want to indulge yourself, according to the state of your finances at the moment.

tapas in barcelona

Photo by Magnus D via VisualHunt

Eating out around Barcelona isnā€™t exactly cheap, with the least expensive menus marked at 8-10ā‚¬. A meal at a mid-range restaurant will cost you around 20ā‚¬ per person, while fancier places will you charge between 30ā‚¬ and 40ā‚¬.

Related article: A Complete Guide on Rental Property Security Deposits

Entertainment

Cinema tickets cost between 6,50ā‚¬ and 11ā‚¬ in Barcelona. Theatre plays are quite a bit more expensive, with each person paying around 40ā‚¬. There are always plenty of music festivals and concerts both in and outside Barcelona, with prices varying depending on performer and venue.

man with guitar and crowd

Photo via Pixabay

While a ticket to see a big name like Julio Iglesias might cost you over 100ā‚¬, there are some alternative festivals where 4 days of camping and concerts wonā€™t cost you more than 40ā‚¬.

When it comes to clubbing, most Barcelona clubs ask for an entry fee of around 20ā‚¬, which includes 1 drink.

Staying for a couple of months or more?

Get your calculator to check the cost of living in Barcelona, Spain

These are pretty much the most important factors to consider when it comes to calculating the cost of living in Barcelona.

calculator

Photo via Pixabay

Like everywhere else, being careful with your money and planning ahead (i.e grocery shopping for the whole month; deciding your meals in advance; buying a pass if youā€™re going to be using public transportation every day) is important to make sure you wonā€™t run into any trouble.

Are you planning on moving to Barcelona soon?
Did you already know about the average cost of living in Barcelona, Spain?

Let us know everything using the comment box below!

About the author

Miguel

Miguel is a freelance writer and copywriter who believes that words can really take you places - so hop on his words and dare to discover the wonders of Barcelona with him.

1 Comment

  • Miguel,

    Thank you for this post. My husband and I are planning to move to Barcelona in a few years, we want to live abroad because we can, because we love Barca and we want to expose our baby to life outside the states.

    We have visited many times before and have been to a lot of the little hoods but I was wondering if there are suburb areas to live in that you can access the metros to get into the heart of life. We want to enroll our child in a school there and Iā€™m not privy to whether the better schools are located in the city or outside the city. What are your thoughts?

    Also, my husband and I will want to start looking for potential work. I am an interior designer and he is an operations manager at a brewery. What would you suggest is the best way to search job opportunities? Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks Miguel.

Leave a Comment