Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alcoy

Name: Alcoy
Address: Alcoy, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcoy: $1,580 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Alcoy
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Alcoy Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Alcoy

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,580

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Alcoy

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 Alcoy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Barcelona vs $1,580 in Alcoy, rent included.

Barcelona $2,443
Alcoy $1,580

A couple spends around $3,519 per month in Barcelona vs $2,339 in Alcoy, rent included.

Barcelona $3,519
Alcoy $2,339

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Barcelona vs $3,098 in Alcoy, rent included.

Barcelona $4,595
Alcoy $3,098

Barcelona costs about 55% more than Alcoy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barcelona and Alcoy sit above the global median – Barcelona by 81%, Alcoy by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.73

$10.18 €9.07

73.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.1

$56.1 €49.98

20.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.13

$12.94 €11.53

5.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$1.77 €1.57

75.14%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$1.77 €1.58

69.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.32 €1.18

46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.33 €2.97

15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$2.34 €2.08

86.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.04 €0.92

20.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.47 €1.31

44.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.36 €1.21

44.85%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$3.17 €2.83

50.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.20

$13.96 €12.44

22.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.98

$8.27 €7.37

8.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.39

$15.55 €13.86

32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.82

$2.58 €2.30

22.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.00 €1.78

-1.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.09 €1.86

26.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$2.61 €2.32

10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.77 €1.58

16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.01 €1.79

8.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.39 €1.24

10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.53 €0.48

83.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.21

$6.10 €5.43

14.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.03

$5.71 €5.09

38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.17 €1.05

21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.39 €1.24

93.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.95

$1.54 €1.38

114.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.81

$27.54 €24.54

-7.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.75

$3.45 €3.07

-10.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.40 €1.25

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.28

$27.20 €24.23

20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.77 €1.58

5.65%

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

$33.0K €29.4K

$33.3K €29.7K

-1.06%

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

$31.9K €28.5K

$29.7K €26.5K

7.54%

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

$183 €163

$153 €136

19.83%

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

$14.24 €12.69

$17.87 €15.92

-20.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.79

$29.93 €26.66

15.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.81

$43.79 €39.01

17.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.60

$15.50 €13.81

5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.86

$9.15 €8.15

20.87%

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

$944 €841

$530 €472

78.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$9,457 €8,425

135.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.1

$86.9 €77.5

0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.54

$35.40 €31.54

9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.1

$91.0 €81.0

14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$112 €99.4

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,512

$905 €806

87.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,191

$691 €616

93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,398

$1,330 €1,185

102.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,850

$1,076 €958

93.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,373

$3,419 €3,046

109.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,524

$2,102 €1,873

141.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,997

$1,898 €1,690

18.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.3

-3.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Alcoy: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Alcoy

$691 43.7% 48.3% $646

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Alcoy

$261 16.5% 20.4% $67

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Alcoy

$175 11.1% 34.4% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Alcoy

$200 12.7% 13.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Alcoy

$146 9.3% 6.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Alcoy

$62 3.9% 15.6% $11

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Alcoy

$44 2.8% 10.5% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Barcelona versus $905 in Alcoy. 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 18% higher in Barcelona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $56 in Alcoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $261 – making Alcoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇸 Alcoy

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

59,493

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Barcelona Alcoy 370 km

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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 Alcoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona, $1,580 in Alcoy – Alcoy comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,664 per month in Barcelona and $2,370 in Alcoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alcoy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $905 there versus $1,697 in Barcelona.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona and $56 in Alcoy. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alcoy, where all-in costs run around $1,580, than in Barcelona at $2,443. In Alcoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alcoy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Alcoy. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.