Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aarschot Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aarschot

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,905 in Aarschot.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,893 in Aarschot.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,881 in Aarschot.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 24% more expensive than Aarschot, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Aarschot 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$17.71 €15.23

-0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$92.2 €79.3

-25.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$11.60 €9.97

21.21%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.07 €3.50

-31.70%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.47 €2.98

-19.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$3.07 €2.64

-32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.99 €4.29

-10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.73 €3.21

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.37 €1.18

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.79 €2.40

-27.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.61 €2.25

-26.44%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.13 €3.55

-19.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$12.08 €10.39

52.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.73 €10.09

-19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$17.18 €14.78

11.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.96 €2.54

-10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.36 €2.03

3.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.25 €1.93

-5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.67 €2.30

6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.22 €1.91

-8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.69 €1.46

9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.43 €1.23

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.84 €0.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$12.82 €11.03

-44.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.90 €5.94

14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.85 €1.59

-25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.99 €1.71

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.91 €2.51

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$57.1 €49.15

-48.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$5.91 €5.09

-22.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.54 €2.19

-18.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$34.51 €29.69

-15.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.92 €1.65

-4.17%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$30.7K €26.4K

27.02%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$28.9K €24.9K

13.00%

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

$188 €162

$182 €157

3.05%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$21.76 €18.72

5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$48.81 €41.99

-24.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$38.92 €33.48

47.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$17.18 €14.78

20.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$14.67 €12.62

-23.72%

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

$721 €620

$660 €568

9.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$13.8K €11.8K

9.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$104 €89.5

-17.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$32.98 €28.37

12.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$93.9 €80.8

8.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$131 €112

-11.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$910 €783

68.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$757 €652

61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,367 €1,176

97.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,086 €934

85.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,244 €3,651

70.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,675 €2,301

93.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,262 €2,806

-27.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.27

3.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $910 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $92.0 in Aarschot for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $319 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Aarschot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarschot is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Aarschot earns 38% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $910 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Aarschot – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,905 in Aarschot versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Aarschot but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Aarschot the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aarschot is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Aarschot 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 Aarschot gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.