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Moving in

6x the Best Place to Live in Barcelona for Students

view over barcelona
Written by Miguel

If you have decided to live and study in Barcelona, then we would like to welcome you to the city. It doesn’t matter whether you will start a postgraduate or master at ESADE or EU Business School, or whether you will study with Erasmus in the city of Barcelona. 

You will probably be occupied with the following question: Where will I live as a student in Barcelona?

In this article by ShBarcelona we will show you some of the best districts for students in Barcelona.

  • monthly apartment rental in barcelona

 

How to live in Barcelona as a student

Living on a student budget is not always that easy, so you should definitely consider sharing an apartment with others, as you will be able to share the rent as well.

You can decide on renting a monthly rental in Barcelona. This way you will only pay for the months that you will really live in the city, and will not pay anything more. There is no need for you to to rent an apartment for several years or go back and forth between holiday accommodation. 

Check out these student apartments

Monthly rentals are great, because you will have an address and place to stay upon arrival. You can leave the airport and travel directly to your new home, the place where you will spend time during your studies in the Catalan capital. Monthly rentals are furnished and fully equipped, making them ideal to move into immediately. 

Related article: Advice on Renting Student Apartments in Barcelona

Ciutat Vella: living comfortably in the Barcelona city centre

hallway around garden

Photo via Unsplash

The more centrally you will be in the city, the easier it will be to travel within and around the city by public transport.

Finding a nice place to live in the centre of Barcelona that is affordable, however, is an entirely different question. It is possible to find something not too pricey in Ciutat Vella, and your best bet is then the neighbourhood of El Raval, El Born or La Barceloneta

These neighbourhoods are busy with tourists, which means there is a lot to see and do when you are not studying and have some time off. 

On the map below you will see the main universities in Ciutat Vella:

  • Pompeu Fabra University 
  • Faculty of Geography and History at UB
  • Elisava Design and Engineering University of Barcelona 
  • Blanquerna Faculty of Communication and International Relations
  • Geneva Business School
  • UB – Public Relations University

 

Les Corts: the University district

The area better known as “Zona Universitaria de Barcelona” is slightly further away from the centre of the city. It is located on both sides of the Avenida Diagonal in the district of Les Corts.

This Zona Universitaria is peaceful and quiet and many students come here. This part of the city has beautiful parks and many universities, making it one of the best places accostumed to students and their needs and wishes. 

If you prefer a more quiet place to live, this is ideal, even though it is not in the city centre. You can travel easily by bus, metro and tram. Find your apartment in Les Corts here. 

These are some of the main universities and business schools in Les Corts:

  • ESADE
  • EU Business School
  • IESE Business School
  • Blanquerna – Ramon Llull University
  • UPC
  • Faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona
  • Hospital Universitari Dexeus – Quirónsalud Group

 

Related article: Safest Neighbourhoods in Barcelona

Eixample: centrally in Barcelona and with several universities

The most famous district in Barcelona, that is most representative of the city as well, is Eixample. Moving here during your studies in Barcelona is an excellent choice.

You will find many examples of modernist architecture here, for example the Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera, just to name a few. Living here while completing your course will without any doubt in our minds be a pleasure. 

Experience has taught us that students in Barcelona prefer renting a two or three bedroom apartment, which they can share with other students. You can find a selection of this type of monthly rentals in Eixample here.

view of barcelona - torre glories

Photo via Unsplash

In addition to the list with rentals, you will see the map with universities and business schools in this district below. You can just leave your front door and walk to school: 

  • University of Barcelona
  • EAE Business School
  • EADA Business School
  • TBS – Barcelona
  • Pompeu Fabra University – Balmes Building
  • European College for Liberal Studies (ECLS)
  • Idep Barcelona
  • Seeway Training Facility

 

Related article: Where to Find Affordable Housing in Barcelona

Sant Marti: studying close to the beach 

courtyard university

Photo via Visualhunt

Sant Marti used to be the industrial zone of the city, but Poblenou is now one of the neighbourhoods with a great number of universities and master programmes. 

If you are thinking of studying in this area, you might also want to check this neighbourhood for your rental apartment in Barcelona

The first element you will notice here, is the tranquillity of the area. Many of the big factories have now left the city and residents have found their place to live here. This is also the district with the most beaches, making it an ideal area for spring walks along the Paseo Maritimo once school has finished.

Here is an overview of available apartments in Poblenou. The area is better known as district @22. This part of Sant Marti now consists of renovated industrial buildings, turned into office buildings. Some of these constructions house universities, hotels and offices.

A complete list of universities and study facilities in Sant Marti can be found here:

  • Pompeu Fabra University – Poblenou Campus
  • Open University of Catalonia
  • Institut de Formació Contínua IL3 – Barcelona University
  • UPC Diagonal – Besòs Campus
  • BAU, Barcelona University Centre for Design
  • Estudis de Ciències de la Salut (Health Science)
  • ENEB

 

Gracia: a vibrant and bohemian district for students in Barcelona

It is impossible to write an article about the best places for students in Barcelona without mentioning the district of Gracia.

This area is perfect for young people who are visiting Barcelona. It has narrow streets with many bars and leisure facilities. If you are looking to share an apartment in Barcelona, Gracia will be perfect. Here is a selection of rentals in Gracia

This is the list of universities in the district:

  • IED Barcelona
  • INSA School for Business, Marketing & Communication

 

 

Sarria-Sant Gervasi: studying higher up in the city

view over sarria-sant gervasi

Photo by Mireia Garcia

One of the last districts with important universities is Sarria-Sant Gervasi. If your study programma takes place here, don’t let yourself be overwhelmed. Althoug it is not close to the city centre, you will be able to find a large quantity of student housing in Barcelona here. 

Check our rentals in Sarria-Sant Gervasi here.

Your university is probably on the list below:

  • UIC Barcelona
  • Ramon Llull University
  • La Salle – Campus Barcelona
  • Abat Oliba CEU University
  • IQS

 

 

Discover student living options in Barcelona

You have now read about good places to stay in Barcelona for students. Is there anything you want to add or comment on? 
Leave your thoughts below for other readers!

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

  • Hi…. I am Humayun from Pakistan. My son (13 years) is die hard foot ball fan and wants to join football club in Spain. What are the chances and procedure as well as expense estimate for joining any club there ? Moreover, how much time it is likely to take if so possible ?

    Regards

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