Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Azores and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in the Azores: $1,611 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Azores, Portugal
Barcelona, Spain
Azores
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,611
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,611 per month in the Azores vs $2,453 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Azores $1,611
  • Barcelona $2,453

A couple spends around $2,369 per month in the Azores vs $3,509 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Azores $2,369
  • Barcelona $3,509

A family of three spends $3,126 per month in the Azores vs $4,564 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Azores $3,126
  • Barcelona $4,564

Azores is about 34% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Azores and Barcelona sit above the global median – Azores by 18%, Barcelona by 80%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.71 €10.52
$17.59 €15.80
-33.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.92 €42.15
$67.5 €60.6
-30.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.52 €8.55
$13.53 €12.15
-29.64%
Cappuccino
$2.16 €1.94
$3.19 €2.87
-32.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.73
$2.91 €2.62
-33.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.89 €1.70
-24.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 €2.02
$4.01 €3.60
-43.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 €3.16
$4.53 €4.07
-22.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 €0.94
$1.31 €1.17
-19.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 €1.38
$2.02 €1.81
-24.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.85 €1.66
-12.97%
Eggs
$2.98 €2.68
$4.83 €4.34
-38.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.46 €10.29
$16.74 €15.03
-31.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.67 €6.89
$9.12 €8.19
-15.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.24 €12.80
$19.64 €17.64
-27.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 €2.05
$2.98 €2.68
-23.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 €1.27
$2.02 €1.81
-30.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 €1.61
$2.70 €2.43
-33.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.53 €2.28
$2.80 €2.52
-9.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.09 €1.87
-27.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 €1.66
$2.07 €1.86
-11.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 €1.39
$1.46 €1.31
6.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 €0.77
$0.94 €0.84
-8.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.19 €5.56
$6.87 €6.17
-9.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.14 €4.61
$7.89 €7.08
-34.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.41 €1.26
-7.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.54 €2.28
-9.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 €2.05
$3.14 €2.82
-27.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.46 €38.14
$25.45 €22.86
66.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.09 €3.67
$2.99 €2.69
36.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 €0.77
$1.49 €1.34
-42.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.57 €15.78
$33.37 €29.98
-47.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 €1.78
$1.80 €1.61
10.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.9K
$33.2K €29.8K
3.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K €35.5K
$31.7K €28.5K
24.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$135 €121
$180 €162
-25.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.13 €18.98
$13.84 €12.43
52.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.30 €37.10
$33.70 €30.27
22.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €40.10
$51.5 €46.27
-13.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.35 €15.58
$15.96 €14.34
8.71%
Cinema Ticket
$8.48 €7.62
$10.99 €9.88
-22.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$471 €423
$917 €823
-48.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,351 €7,502
$16.5K €14.8K
-49.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.9 €66.3
$87.0 €78.2
-15.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.73 €34.79
$38.51 €34.59
0.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 €83.2
$106 €95.1
-12.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.2 €82.8
$120 €108
-23.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 €848
$1,699 €1,527
-44.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$734 €659
$1,355 €1,217
-45.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,457 €1,309
$2,603 €2,338
-44.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,050
$2,062 €1,853
-43.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,049 €2,739
$6,915 €6,211
-55.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,337 €2,100
$5,128 €4,606
-54.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Azores
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,211 €1,986
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.01
3.28
52.74%

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

Last update for the Azores: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Azores
$734
Barcelona
$1.4K 84.8% $622
Groceries & Markets
Azores
$245
Barcelona
$322 31.1% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Azores
$197
Barcelona
$228 15.7% $31
Eating Out
Azores
$180
Barcelona
$268 48.9% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Azores
$134
Barcelona
$158 18.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Azores
$62
Barcelona
$74 19.3% $12
Getting Around
Azores
$60
Barcelona
$48 19.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in the Azores 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in the Azores versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $322 – making Azores the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Azores
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
19:34 7:34 PM
21:34 9:34 PM
2 h ahead of the Azores
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
236,657
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
  • Azores Barcelona 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Azores
  • 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
Azores vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Azores cheaper than Barcelona?
Yes – Barcelona is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,417 per month in the Azores and $3,679 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in the Azores, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.
How do food prices compare in the Azores and in Barcelona?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in the Azores or in Barcelona?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in the Azores and $67 in Barcelona. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is Azores or Barcelona more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward the Azores – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Azores vs other spots: cost of living compared

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