Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $853 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$853

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Apia versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Apia $853
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,282 in Apia versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Apia $2,282
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,711 in Apia versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Apia $3,711
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Apia costs roughly 65% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apia is 37% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.10 WST 130

$17.59 €15.80

167.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.32 WST 100

$67.5 €60.6

-46.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 WST 39.98

$13.53 €12.15

6.87%

Cappuccino

$2.87 WST 7.92

$3.19 €2.87

-10.03%

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

$1.77 WST 4.89

$2.91 €2.62

-39.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 WST 3.67

$1.89 €1.70

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 WST 9.49

$4.01 €3.60

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 WST 9.95

$4.53 €4.07

-20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 WST 5.08

$1.31 €1.17

40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 WST 2.31

$2.02 €1.81

-58.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 WST 4.99

$1.85 €1.66

-2.70%

Eggs

$4.39 WST 12.15

$4.83 €4.34

-9.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.94 WST 2.60

$16.74 €15.04

-94.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 WST 10.11

$9.12 €8.19

-59.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.34 WST 23.06

$19.64 €17.64

-57.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 WST 13.79

$2.98 €2.68

67.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 WST 5.13

$2.02 €1.81

-8.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 WST 5.10

$2.70 €2.43

-31.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 WST 12.38

$2.80 €2.52

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 WST 9.79

$2.09 €1.87

69.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 WST 3.04

$2.07 €1.86

-46.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 WST 3.35

$0.94 €0.84

28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 WST 17.58

$6.87 €6.17

-7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 WST 45.04

$7.89 €7.09

106.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 WST 5.08

$1.41 €1.26

30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 WST 10.18

$2.54 €2.28

44.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 WST 10.24

$3.14 €2.82

17.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 WST 15.20

$2.99 €2.69

83.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.55 WST 15.36

$1.49 €1.34

272.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.64 WST 59.8

$33.37 €29.99

-35.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 WST 2.98

$1.80 €1.62

-40.00%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

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

$31.7K €28.5K

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

$18.50 WST 51.2

$180 €162

-89.75%

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

$18.38 WST 50.8

$13.84 €12.43

32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 WST 101

$33.70 €30.28

8.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.28

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

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

$917 €824

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.60

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,218

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,339

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 WST 4,805

$2,062 €1,853

-15.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,213

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,607

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Apia: 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

Apia

–

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Barcelona

$74 3%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Barcelona

$48 2%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $36 in Apia vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $322 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

18:43 6:43 PM

12 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.362 USD

1 WST = 0.325 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.77 WST (1 WST = 0.362 USD). 1 EUR = 3.08 WST (1 WST = 0.325 EUR).

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

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Apia Barcelona 16,900 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Apia
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

Apia vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,279 in Apia 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.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Apia versus $2,453 in Barcelona – a 188% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Apia is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Apia and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.