Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $789 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Barcelona

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$789

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in Barcelona versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Barcelona $789
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Barcelona versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Barcelona $1,300
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,811 in Barcelona versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Barcelona $1,811
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 42% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.88 VES 8,673

$16.50 €14.67

-40.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.71 VES 27.8K

$61.3 €54.5

-48.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 VES 8,702

$11.27 €10.03

-12.07%

Cappuccino

$2.35 VES 2,059

$3.06 €2.72

-23.20%

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

$1.02 VES 897

$2.26 €2.01

-54.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 VES 598

$1.73 €1.54

-60.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 VES 903

$3.39 €3.02

-69.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 VES 1,726

$3.40 €3.02

-42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 VES 1,803

$1.12 €1.00

83.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 VES 1,795

$1.86 €1.65

10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 VES 1,507

$1.53 €1.36

12.42%

Eggs

$3.89 VES 3,411

$3.96 €3.53

-1.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 VES 4,818

$12.76 €11.35

-56.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 VES 6,055

$7.90 €7.02

-12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 VES 6,666

$16.97 €15.09

-55.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 VES 3,036

$2.27 €2.02

52.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 VES 1,508

$1.75 €1.55

-1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 VES 1,372

$1.85 €1.64

-15.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 VES 1,894

$2.57 €2.28

-15.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 VES 1,308

$1.86 €1.65

-19.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 VES 1,278

$2.02 €1.80

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 VES 1,514

$1.44 €1.28

19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 VES 1,796

$0.82 €0.73

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 VES 2,951

$6.56 €5.83

-48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 VES 9,562

$5.62 €5.00

93.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 VES 630

$1.28 €1.14

-43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 VES 1,768

$2.07 €1.84

-2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 VES 151

$2.35 €2.09

-92.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.32 VES 10.8K

$44.18 €39.30

-72.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 VES 6,482

$3.99 €3.55

84.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 VES 943

$1.09 €0.97

-1.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.95 VES 13.1K

$16.64 €14.81

-10.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 VES 420

$2.28 €2.03

-78.95%

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

$22.4K VES 19.6M

$33.7K €30.0K

-33.60%

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

$40.3K VES 35.4M

$39.3K €35.0K

2.57%

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

$50.4 VES 44.2K

$167 €149

-69.93%

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

$14.90 VES 13.1K

$18.80 €16.72

-20.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.70 VES 34.9K

$33.09 €29.43

19.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.88 VES 26.2K

$46.01 €40.93

-35.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 VES 13.3K

$19.19 €17.07

-21.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.88 VES 3,409

$9.84 €8.75

-60.57%

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

$65.2 VES 57.2K

$677 €602

-90.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 VES 52.9K

$101 €90.1

-40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 VES 37.7K

$45.76 €40.70

-6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 VES 56.7K

$100.0 €88.9

-35.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 VES 53.2K

$123 €109

-50.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 VES 175.1K

$1,614 €1,436

-87.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 VES 101.2K

$1,197 €1,065

-90.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 VES 324.8K

$2,862 €2,545

-87.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 VES 244.1K

$1,990 €1,770

-86.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$411 VES 361.1K

$7,577 €6,740

-94.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$240 VES 210.8K

$4,307 €3,831

-94.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 VES 232.1K

$1,588 €1,412

-83.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.12

3.85

500.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$250 31.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 7.8% $19

Eating Out

Barcelona

$153 19.4%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 58.5% $89

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$115 14.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 938% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$105 13.3%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 109% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$103 13%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 61.9% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$38 4.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 74.5% $28

Getting Around

Barcelona

$26 3.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 145% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Barcelona and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 501% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Barcelona vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $269 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Barcelona

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

5 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

560,122

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Lisbon 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Lisbon

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

Barcelona vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 182% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barcelona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 501% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Barcelona versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $789 per month in Barcelona versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $789 in Barcelona versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barcelona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $789 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barcelona hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.