Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlon and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlon: $2,033 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Arlon, Belgium
Barcelona, Spain
Arlon
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,033
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,033 per month in Arlon vs $2,453 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Arlon $2,033
  • Barcelona $2,453

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Arlon vs $3,509 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Arlon $3,132
  • Barcelona $3,509

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Arlon vs $4,564 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Arlon $4,232
  • Barcelona $4,564

Arlon is about 17% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Arlon and Barcelona sit above the global median – Arlon by 49%, Barcelona by 80%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.02 €15.25
$17.59 €15.76
-3.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.1 €81.6
$67.5 €60.5
34.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 €10.04
$13.53 €12.12
-17.15%
Cappuccino
$2.86 €2.56
$3.19 €2.86
-10.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.40
$2.91 €2.61
-7.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 €2.31
$1.89 €1.70
36.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.41 €3.05
$4.01 €3.59
-14.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.93
$4.53 €4.06
-3.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.31 €1.17
-9.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 €1.38
$2.02 €1.81
-23.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 €2.12
$1.85 €1.66
27.57%
Eggs
$3.77 €3.38
$4.83 €4.33
-21.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.58 €13.06
$16.74 €15.00
-12.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 €10.34
$9.12 €8.17
26.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 €13.73
$19.64 €17.60
-21.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 €2.74
$2.98 €2.67
2.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 €0.98
$2.02 €1.81
-46.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.70 €2.42
-19.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.05 €2.73
$2.80 €2.51
8.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$2.09 €1.87
-20.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 €1.87
$2.07 €1.85
0.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.46 €1.31
17.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$0.94 €0.84
18.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.99 €8.06
$6.87 €6.16
30.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.92 €7.10
$7.89 €7.07
0.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.80
$1.41 €1.26
42.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.54 €2.27
-56.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 €2.00
$3.14 €2.82
-28.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.07 €36.80
$25.45 €22.80
61.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.54
$2.99 €2.68
32.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.61 €2.34
$1.49 €1.34
75.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.95 €15.19
$33.37 €29.91
-49.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 €1.78
$1.80 €1.61
10.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.8K
$33.2K €29.7K
7.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K €32.8K
$31.7K €28.4K
15.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$263 €236
$180 €162
45.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.91 €22.32
$13.84 €12.40
79.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.8 €47.31
$33.70 €30.20
56.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$51.5 €46.16
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.29 €21.77
$15.96 €14.30
52.19%
Cinema Ticket
$9.08 €8.13
$10.99 €9.85
-17.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$851 €763
$917 €821
-7.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.5K €14.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.4 €76.6
$87.0 €78.0
-1.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.5 €45.27
$38.51 €34.51
31.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$49.54 €44.39
$106 €94.8
-53.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 €99.1
$120 €107
-7.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$897 €804
$1,699 €1,523
-47.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$921 €825
$1,355 €1,214
-32.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 €1,506
$2,603 €2,332
-35.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,701 €1,524
$2,062 €1,848
-17.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,215 €3,777
$6,915 €6,196
-39.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,897 €3,492
$5,128 €4,595
-23.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arlon
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,868 €2,570
$2,211 €1,981
29.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.65
3.28
11.28%

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

Last update for Arlon: 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
Arlon
$921
Barcelona
$1.4K 47.2% $435
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlon
$341
Barcelona
$228 33.1% $113
Groceries & Markets
Arlon
$302
Barcelona
$322 6.4% $19
Eating Out
Arlon
$251
Barcelona
$268 6.7% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Arlon
$133
Barcelona
$158 18.6% $25
Getting Around
Arlon
$67
Barcelona
$48 27.7% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Arlon
$18 *
Barcelona
$74 305% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $897 in Arlon 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 30% higher in Arlon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Arlon versus $67 in Barcelona. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Arlon vs $322 in Barcelona – so Arlon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Arlon
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
08:03 8:03 AM
08:03 8:03 AM
Same time as Arlon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,759
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Arlon Barcelona 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Arlon
  • 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
Arlon vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Arlon or Barcelona?
Barcelona costs about 21% more than Arlon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Arlon and in Barcelona?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,050 per month in Arlon and $3,679 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Arlon or Barcelona?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arlon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $897 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.
How much does it cost to live in Arlon compared to Barcelona?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,033 in Arlon and $2,453 in Barcelona. That makes Arlon about 17% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Arlon compared to Barcelona?
Public transport costs about 38% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Arlon or in Barcelona?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,033 in Arlon and $2,453 in Barcelona. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Arlon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Arlon compared to Barcelona?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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