Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Albacete Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Albacete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,590 in Albacete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,288 in Albacete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,985 in Albacete.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 47% more expensive than Albacete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Albacete 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$14.00 €12.06

22.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$42.10 €36.27

64.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$12.08 €10.41

14.07%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.86 €1.60

48.39%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.10 €1.81

32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.77 €1.52

12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.92 €2.52

49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.52 €3.90

4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.88 €0.76

46.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.78 €0.67

162.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.46 €1.26

36.30%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.97 €2.56

14.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$14.66 €12.63

28.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.50 €5.60

44.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$16.99 €14.64

12.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.63 €2.27

2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.22 €1.91

5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.49 €2.15

-14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.70 €2.33

5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.04 €1.76

-3.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.07 €1.79

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.41 €1.21

2.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.84 €0.73

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.70 €4.91

18.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$5.36 €4.62

47.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.23 €1.92

6.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.42 €1.23

105.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$17.63 €15.19

62.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.02 €3.46

10.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.33 €1.15

54.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$28.59 €24.63

3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.92 €1.65

-5.21%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$37.0K €31.9K

4.84%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$32.4K €27.9K

2.09%

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

$189 €163

$190 €164

-0.43%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$21.76 €18.75

4.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$34.89 €30.06

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$50.3 €43.37

14.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$4.59 €3.95

351.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.59 €6.54

42.56%

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

$728 €628

$659 €568

10.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$12.1K €10.4K

22.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$95.4 €82.2

-7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$40.05 €34.51

-7.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$102 €87.8

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$810 €698

93.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$630 €543

93.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,144 €986

144.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$909 €783

117.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,448 €2,109

216.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,040 €1,758

153.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,103 €1,812

11.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.43

-1.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Albacete: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $810 in Albacete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 11% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Albacete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $260 per month, with Albacete 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 Albacete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Albacete differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,590 including rent). Albacete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 11% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $810 in Albacete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Albacete – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,337 per month in Barcelona versus $1,590 in Albacete – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,590 in Albacete versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albacete but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Albacete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Barcelona and Albacete 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 Albacete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.