Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcorcón and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcorcón: $1,696 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alcorcón, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Alcorcón
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,696
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alcorcón and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alcorcón and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Alcorcón versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Alcorcón $1,696
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,505 in Alcorcón versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Alcorcón $2,505
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,315 in Alcorcón versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Alcorcón $3,315
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Alcorcón costs roughly 31% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alcorcón 25% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.08 €15.34
$17.59 €15.80
-2.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.2 €50.5
$67.5 €60.6
-16.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.86
$13.53 €12.15
-18.85%
Cappuccino
$2.01 €1.81
$3.19 €2.87
-36.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 €2.55
$2.91 €2.62
-2.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.89 €1.70
5.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.00 €3.60
$4.01 €3.60
-0.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 €3.54
$4.53 €4.07
-13.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.31 €1.17
3.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 €1.40
$2.02 €1.81
-22.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.38
$1.85 €1.66
-17.30%
Eggs
$2.82 €2.53
$4.83 €4.34
-41.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.62 €14.93
$16.74 €15.03
-0.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.34 €8.39
$9.12 €8.19
2.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.41 €15.64
$19.64 €17.64
-11.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 €2.36
$2.98 €2.68
-11.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 €2.17
$2.02 €1.81
19.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.29
$2.70 €2.43
-5.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.10 €2.78
$2.80 €2.52
10.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 €1.80
$2.09 €1.87
-3.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 €1.99
$2.07 €1.86
7.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.40
$1.46 €1.31
6.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.66
$0.94 €0.84
-21.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.34 €5.69
$6.87 €6.17
-7.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.00 €7.18
$7.89 €7.08
1.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.41 €1.26
-29.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 €1.98
$2.54 €2.28
-12.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 €1.40
$3.14 €2.82
-50.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.50 €27.40
$25.45 €22.86
19.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.99 €2.69
-22.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.92
$1.49 €1.34
-31.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.29 €26.31
$33.37 €29.98
-12.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 €1.62
$1.80 €1.61
0.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €30.0K
$33.2K €29.8K
0.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K €28.3K
$31.7K €28.5K
-0.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 €146
$180 €162
-9.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.35 €10.20
$13.84 €12.43
-17.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.27 €31.68
$33.70 €30.27
4.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.77 €40.22
$51.5 €46.27
-13.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.64 €12.25
$15.96 €14.34
-14.54%
Cinema Ticket
$8.86 €7.95
$10.99 €9.88
-19.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$510 €458
$917 €823
-44.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,957 €7,148
$16.5K €14.8K
-51.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 €78.9
$87.0 €78.2
0.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.49 €34.58
$38.51 €34.59
-0.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 €89.9
$106 €95.1
-5.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €101
$120 €108
-6.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 €904
$1,699 €1,527
-40.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$687 €617
$1,355 €1,217
-49.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,526 €1,371
$2,603 €2,338
-41.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,045 €939
$2,062 €1,853
-49.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,285 €2,951
$6,915 €6,211
-52.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,234 €2,007
$5,128 €4,606
-56.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alcorcón
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,211 €1,986
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.14
3.28
-4.27%

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

Last update for Alcorcón: October 24, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alcorcón
$687
Barcelona
$1.4K 97.2% $668
Groceries & Markets
Alcorcón
$300
Barcelona
$322 7.4% $22
Eating Out
Alcorcón
$241
Barcelona
$268 11.2% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alcorcón
$209
Barcelona
$228 9% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Alcorcón
$152
Barcelona
$158 3.7% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
Alcorcón
$62
Barcelona
$74 17.6% $11
Getting Around
Alcorcón
$44
Barcelona
$48 9.8% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Alcorcón and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Alcorcón vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $322 per month, with Alcorcón cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Alcorcón
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
06:25 6:25 AM
06:25 6:25 AM
Same time as Alcorcón
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
171,772
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alcorcón Barcelona 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alcorcón
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Alcorcón vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alcorcón cheaper than Barcelona?
Alcorcón is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,544 in Alcorcón and $3,679 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Alcorcón and Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Alcorcón versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Alcorcón and in Barcelona?
All in, you’ll spend $1,696 per month in Alcorcón versus $2,453 in Barcelona – Alcorcón is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 17% less than in Alcorcón. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Alcorcón or in Barcelona?
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.
Which city is safer, Alcorcón or Barcelona?
Safety-wise, Alcorcón and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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