Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcoy and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcoy: $1,580 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Alcoy
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Alcoy Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Alcoy

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,580

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alcoy 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 Alcoy and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,580 per month in Alcoy vs $2,443 in Barcelona, rent included.

Alcoy $1,580
Barcelona $2,443

A couple spends around $2,339 per month in Alcoy vs $3,519 in Barcelona, rent included.

Alcoy $2,339
Barcelona $3,519

A family of three spends $3,098 per month in Alcoy vs $4,595 in Barcelona, rent included.

Alcoy $3,098
Barcelona $4,595

Alcoy is about 35% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alcoy and Barcelona sit above the global median – Alcoy by 17%, Barcelona by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.18 €9.07

$17.66 €15.73

-42.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 €49.98

$67.5 €60.1

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 €11.53

$13.61 €12.13

-4.92%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.57

$3.10 €2.76

-42.90%

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

$1.77 €1.58

$3.00 €2.67

-41.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.93 €1.72

-31.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 €2.97

$3.84 €3.42

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.08

$4.36 €3.88

-46.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.92

$1.25 €1.11

-16.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.12 €1.89

-30.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.97 €1.76

-30.96%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.83

$4.76 €4.24

-33.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 €12.44

$17.07 €15.20

-18.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.27 €7.37

$8.96 €7.98

-7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 €13.86

$20.65 €18.39

-24.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$3.16 €2.82

-18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.97 €1.75

1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.65 €2.36

-21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.88 €2.57

-9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.06 €1.83

-14.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.18 €1.94

-7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.53 €1.37

-9.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.48

$0.97 €0.86

-45.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 €5.43

$6.97 €6.21

-12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €5.09

$7.89 €7.03

-27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.42 €1.26

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.69 €2.39

-48.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 €1.38

$3.31 €2.95

-53.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.54 €24.54

$25.61 €22.81

7.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 €3.07

$3.08 €2.75

12.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.48 €1.32

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 €24.23

$32.87 €29.28

-17.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.87 €1.66

-5.35%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$33.0K €29.4K

1.08%

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

$29.7K €26.5K

$31.9K €28.5K

-7.01%

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

$153 €136

$183 €163

-16.55%

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

$17.87 €15.92

$14.24 €12.69

25.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.93 €26.66

$34.56 €30.79

-13.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.79 €39.01

$51.4 €45.81

-14.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 €13.81

$16.38 €14.60

-5.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 €8.15

$11.06 €9.86

-17.27%

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

$530 €472

$944 €841

-43.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,457 €8,425

$22.3K €19.8K

-57.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 €77.5

$87.7 €78.1

-0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.40 €31.54

$38.77 €34.54

-8.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 €81.0

$105 €93.1

-13.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.4

$118 €105

-5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 €806

$1,697 €1,512

-46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €616

$1,337 €1,191

-48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 €1,185

$2,692 €2,398

-50.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €958

$2,077 €1,850

-48.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,419 €3,046

$7,155 €6,373

-52.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,102 €1,873

$5,079 €4,524

-58.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,898 €1,690

$2,241 €1,997

-15.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.19

3.45%

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

Last update for Alcoy: November 3, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alcoy

$691 43.7%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 93.4% $646

Groceries & Markets

Alcoy

$261 16.5%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 25.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alcoy

$200 12.7%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 15.6% $31

Eating Out

Alcoy

$175 11.1%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 52.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Alcoy

$146 9.3%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Alcoy

$62 3.9%

Barcelona

$74 3% 18.5% $11

Getting Around

Alcoy

$44 2.8%

Barcelona

$49 2% 11.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Alcoy versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Barcelona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Alcoy versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $328 – making Alcoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Alcoy

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

Same time as Alcoy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,493

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Alcoy Barcelona 370 km

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Alcoy
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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

Alcoy vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,580 in Alcoy, $2,443 in Barcelona – Alcoy comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,370 per month in Alcoy and $3,664 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alcoy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $905 there versus $1,697 in Barcelona.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Alcoy and $67 in Barcelona. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alcoy, where all-in costs run around $1,580, than in Barcelona at $2,443. In Alcoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alcoy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Alcoy. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.