Barcelona is a city that offers equally as many personal opportunities as professional, nowadays many people choose our city as their next destination to move for a long period of time, or even, for life. Either way, if you are planning to move here you must remember the cost of living in Barcelona. The truth is that, in comparison to other cities in Spain, Barcelona is the most expensive place to live. On the other hand, when comparing Barcelona to other large cities in Europe like London, Paris, Amsterdam or Berlin, the cost of living is much less in virtually every aspect. That is why, we are going to give you all the important things you need to know about the cost of living in Barcelona.
Cost of living in Barcelona:
– Renting a flat and bills
The most important thing of all, and usually the most difficult, is finding your ideal accommodation in Barcelona. In recent years, the housing prices have increased a lot due to their demand and the change in apartments on offer within the market. Yet still, you can find rooms in the most central neighbourhoods in Barcelona for in between €300 and €500 (bills included). Renting a flat entirely can be between around €900 and €1300.
If you are looking for accommodation and have not been convinced by anything yet, we suggest that you search on AB Apartment Barcelona, a touristic apartments company in Barcelona with over 10 years of experience and more than 600 apartments on offer throughout the city. They have a great quality-price ratio as you can find an apartment next to the beach for only€550 per month, undoubtedly a great opportunity.
– Supermarkets and alcohol
If you are worried about the cost of living in Barcelona, in respect to food and drink, you have a reason to be calm. Our city has a great variety of supermarkets where you can do your weekly or monthly shop. There are obviously some cheaper places to shop, for example, Mercadona, Lidl or Alcampo, where a monthly shop would cost you around €150. On the other hand, if you go to a place like Carrefour or Hipercor, you can easily spend between €200 and €250.
A common question among those who spend a season in Barcelona is: How much does alcohol cost? Well, the truth is, when compared to other countries, it is very cheap. Here are some examples:
• A small can of beer: €0.60
• Bottle of wine: between €2.50-€9 (although it depends on the quality, as there are bottles of wine that can be triple the price)
• Cava: €5
• Bottle of spirits: €8-€15
– Public transport
Barcelona is a city that is well connected for public transport as you have a number of options to get around the metropolitan area: bus, metro, train, tram and railway. The price of a single ticket (one use only) is €2.20, but we recommend that you buy a T-10, as it gives you 10 travels, it is multipersonal, and the price for a journey is €1.02.
These recent years have seen a “boom” in respect to electric bikes and scooters, currently there are a total of 10,000 of these vehicles located around the city. It is a good option if you want to get around Barcelona in a comfortable and simple way; as you can find any of these services on practically any street in the city. The price of renting these vehicles is around €1 to unlock and then €0.20 per hour. Undoubtedly a very economic choice to see the whole city!
– Eating and going out
One of the things that Barceloneses like to do the most is to go out to eat and drink with friends. In this way, one of the best things you can do upon arriving is make some local friends, as they will certainly know where to recommend the best, and cheapest, places to go out in Barcelona.
If you come to the city, we strongly suggest that you try the “menus of the day”, as practically every restaurant has them and they usually cost between €10 to €15 (first course, second course, dessert or coffee and a drink). Other prices to be aware of in the city (at an average price) are:
– Tapas dish (depending on the product): €3-€8
– A meal: €10-€20
– Fast food: €7
– Bottle of beer: €1.80
– Coffee with milk: €1.20-€1.50
– Club entry €10-€15
Although the cost of living in Barcelona can seem very cheap, in comparison to other cities in Europe, in the background, Barcelona is one of the most expensive cities in Spain. Furthermore, the wages are not usually very high and that means that most Barceloneses face a struggle to make it to the end of the month.
However, if you have a tight budget then Barcelona is a great option as the cost of things could be up to half of what they are in other European capitals, such as London, Paris or Berlin. So, know you know… Get packing your suitcase for your next trip to Barcelona!
