Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alges and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Alges: $2,004 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alges, Portugal
Barcelona, Spain
Alges
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,004
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,004 per month in Alges vs $2,453 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Alges $2,004
  • Barcelona $2,453

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Alges vs $3,509 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Alges $2,863
  • Barcelona $3,509

A family of three spends $3,722 per month in Alges vs $4,564 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Alges $3,722
  • Barcelona $4,564

Alges is about 18% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alges and Barcelona sit above the global median – Alges by 47%, Barcelona by 80%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.79 €14.18
$17.59 €15.80
-10.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.3 €49.66
$67.5 €60.6
-18.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.74 €8.75
$13.53 €12.15
-28.01%
Cappuccino
$2.60 €2.34
$3.19 €2.87
-18.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.10
$2.91 €2.62
-19.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 €2.00
$1.89 €1.70
17.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.01 €3.60
-17.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.90
$4.53 €4.07
20.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.31 €1.17
-20.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 €1.74
$2.02 €1.81
-3.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.15 €1.94
$1.85 €1.66
16.22%
Eggs
$3.50 €3.14
$4.83 €4.34
-27.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.06 €9.93
$16.74 €15.03
-33.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.08 €6.36
$9.12 €8.19
-22.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 €13.59
$19.64 €17.64
-22.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 €2.58
$2.98 €2.68
-3.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 €1.24
$2.02 €1.81
-31.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 €1.65
$2.70 €2.43
-31.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.24 €2.01
$2.80 €2.52
-20.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 €1.43
$2.09 €1.87
-23.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 €1.89
$2.07 €1.86
1.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 €1.39
$1.46 €1.31
6.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.76
$0.94 €0.84
-9.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.69 €5.11
$6.87 €6.17
-17.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.00 €4.49
$7.89 €7.08
-36.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.07
$1.41 €1.26
-15.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 €2.77
$2.54 €2.28
21.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.25 €2.02
$3.14 €2.82
-28.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.69
$25.45 €22.86
73.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.59 €4.13
$2.99 €2.69
53.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 €0.82
$1.49 €1.34
-38.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.55 €15.77
$33.37 €29.98
-47.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.88
$1.80 €1.61
16.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K €30.1K
$33.2K €29.8K
1.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.6K
$31.7K €28.5K
21.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 €119
$180 €162
-26.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.97 €22.43
$13.84 €12.43
80.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.0 €49.36
$33.70 €30.27
63.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.60 €39.16
$51.5 €46.27
-15.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.23 €15.48
$15.96 €14.34
7.96%
Cinema Ticket
$7.42 €6.66
$10.99 €9.88
-32.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$591 €531
$917 €823
-35.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K €16.9K
$16.5K €14.8K
13.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.1 €69.3
$87.0 €78.2
-11.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.93 €30.48
$38.51 €34.59
-11.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 €79.4
$106 €95.1
-16.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.5 €85.8
$120 €108
-20.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,211 €1,088
$1,699 €1,527
-28.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 €944
$1,355 €1,217
-22.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,052 €1,843
$2,603 €2,338
-21.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 €1,416
$2,062 €1,853
-23.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,135 €2,817
$6,915 €6,211
-54.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,271 €2,040
$5,128 €4,606
-55.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alges
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,221 €1,097
$2,211 €1,986
-44.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
3.28
11.89%

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

Last update for Alges: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alges
$1.1K
Barcelona
$1.4K 29% $304
Groceries & Markets
Alges
$255
Barcelona
$322 26.2% $67
Eating Out
Alges
$232
Barcelona
$268 15.3% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alges
$212
Barcelona
$228 7.3% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Alges
$133
Barcelona
$158 19% $25
Getting Around
Alges
$62
Barcelona
$48 22.2% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Alges
$58
Barcelona
$74 25.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,211 in Alges versus $1,699 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 81% higher in Barcelona. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Alges versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $322 – making Alges the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Alges
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
22:57 10:57 PM
23:57 11:57 PM
1 h ahead of Alges
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,327
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alges Barcelona 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alges
  • 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
Alges vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Alges and in Barcelona compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,004 in Alges, $2,453 in Barcelona – Alges comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Alges compared to Barcelona?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,006 per month in Alges and $3,679 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Alges and Barcelona?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alges, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,211 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Alges and Barcelona?
Kindergarten costs $591 per month in Alges and $917 in Barcelona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $3,000 go in Alges compared to Barcelona?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,004 in Alges and $2,453 in Barcelona, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Alges and Barcelona?
It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,004 in Alges to $2,453 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Alges or Barcelona safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Alges and Barcelona?
If budget matters most, go with Alges. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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