Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Almelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,541 in Almelo, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Almelo despite lower rent and utilities.

Barcelona, Spain
Almelo, Netherlands
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Almelo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Almelo

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

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $2,541 in Almelo, rent included.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Almelo $2,541

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $3,772 in Almelo, rent included.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Almelo $3,772

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $5,004 in Almelo, rent included.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Almelo $5,004

Barcelona is about 3% cheaper than Almelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Barcelona and Almelo sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Almelo by 87%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$19.80 €17.75
-11.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$102 €91.3
-33.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$15.75 €14.11
-14.10%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$4.44 €3.98
-28.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$3.91 €3.51
-25.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$3.12 €2.79
-39.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$5.57 €4.99
-28.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$5.43 €4.87
-16.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.33 €1.19
-1.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.54 €2.27
-20.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.62 €2.34
-29.39%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$4.51 €4.04
7.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$12.71 €11.39
31.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$12.97 €11.63
-29.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$18.13 €16.25
8.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.96 €2.65
0.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.48 €2.22
-18.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$2.60 €2.33
3.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$4.69 €4.20
-40.30%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.02 €1.81
3.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.62 €1.45
27.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.24 €1.11
17.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.27 €1.13
-25.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$14.19 €12.71
-51.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$6.76 €6.06
16.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.45 €1.30
-2.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.47 €2.21
2.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$4.14 €3.71
-24.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$93.0 €83.3
-72.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$6.66 €5.97
-55.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$2.71 €2.42
-45.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$28.64 €25.67
16.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$2.15 €1.93
-16.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$41.1K €36.9K
-19.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$39.4K €35.3K
-19.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$233 €209
-22.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$21.16 €18.96
-34.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$48.86 €43.79
-31.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$40.62 €36.40
26.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$22.76 €20.39
-29.88%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$16.49 €14.78
-33.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$2,000 €1,792
-54.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$7,636 €6,843
115.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$106 €94.6
-17.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$45.17 €40.47
-14.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$103 €92.4
2.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$197 €177
-39.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$1,355 €1,214
25.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$1,162 €1,041
16.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$2,302 €2,063
13.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$1,819 €1,630
13.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$6,332 €5,674
9.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$4,449 €3,987
15.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Almelo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$4,832 €4,330
-54.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.43
-4.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Almelo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Almelo
$1.2K 14.2% $193
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Almelo
$343 6.7% $21
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Almelo
$326 21.6% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Almelo
$303 32.9% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Almelo
$203 28.5% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Almelo
$74 0.1% $0.1
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Almelo
$130 168% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,355 in Almelo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Almelo are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $102 in Almelo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $343 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇳🇱 Almelo
🕒 Local time
05:15 5:15 AM
05:15 5:15 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
73,107
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Almelo 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Almelo

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 Almelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Barcelona or Almelo?
Almelo costs about 4% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Barcelona and in Almelo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $3,811 in Almelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Barcelona or Almelo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Almelo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,355 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.
How expensive is transport in Barcelona compared to Almelo?
Public transport costs about 73% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Barcelona and in Almelo?
Kindergarten costs $917 per month in Barcelona and $2,000 in Almelo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Barcelona or in Almelo?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,541 in Almelo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Barcelona or Almelo?
It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,453 in Barcelona to $2,541 in Almelo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Barcelona or to Almelo?
If budget matters most, go with Barcelona. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almelo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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