Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Altamura Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Altamura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,793 in Altamura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,695 in Altamura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,597 in Altamura.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 38% more expensive than in Altamura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Altamura 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$17.55 €15.13

4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$82.9 €71.4

-16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$11.42 €9.84

23.03%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.26 €1.95

37.61%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.41 €2.08

22.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.30 €1.12

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.95 €5.13

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.08 €4.38

-9.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.90 €1.64

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.86 €1.60

13.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.39 €2.92

-46.02%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$4.49 €3.87

14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$16.49 €14.21

6.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$12.89 €11.11

-26.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$20.92 €18.03

-4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.48 €2.14

27.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.07 €1.78

6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.41 €2.08

8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.60 €3.10

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.74 €1.50

24.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.71 €1.48

23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.29 €1.11

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.55 €0.48

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$7.28 €6.27

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$7.39 €6.37

12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.89 €1.63

-20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.12 €2.69

-11.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.73 €1.49

81.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$42.80 €36.89

-38.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$4.55 €3.92

-29.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.27 €1.09

18.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$24.81 €21.39

42.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.10 €1.81

-16.67%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$37.3K €32.1K

-1.60%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$37.0K €31.9K

-14.34%

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

$187 €161

$207 €178

-9.50%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$10.06 €8.67

50.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$31.57 €27.21

19.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$57.6 €49.66

-3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$25.72 €22.17

-34.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$11.60 €10.00

0.95%

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

$1,011 €871

$467 €402

116.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$8,373 €7,217

103.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$100 €86.4

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$44.70 €38.53

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$107 €92.6

2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$132 €113

-4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$765 €659

122.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$591 €509

119.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,230

$1,196 €1,031

116.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$907 €782

112.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,664

$3,034 €2,615

154.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,640

$2,097 €1,807

156.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,812 €1,562

30.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.09

2.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Altamura: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $765 in Altamura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 31% 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 $83.0 in Altamura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $349 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 Altamura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altamura is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $765 in Altamura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Altamura – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,793 in Altamura versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Altamura but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Altamura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altamura 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 Altamura 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 Altamura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.