Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Amstelveen

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $3,074 in Amstelveen, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Amstelveen
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Amstelveen Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Amstelveen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Amstelveen

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

A single person spends $2,381 per month in Barcelona vs $3,074 in Amstelveen, rent included.

Barcelona $2,381
Amstelveen $3,074

A couple spends around $3,406 per month in Barcelona vs $4,293 in Amstelveen, rent included.

Barcelona $3,406
Amstelveen $4,293

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Barcelona vs $5,512 in Amstelveen, rent included.

Barcelona $4,431
Amstelveen $5,512

Barcelona is about 23% cheaper than Amstelveen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barcelona and Amstelveen sit above the global median – Barcelona by 76%, Amstelveen by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$24.20 €21.53

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$84.1 €74.8

-21.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$13.40 €11.92

2.16%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$3.92 €3.49

-21.94%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$3.88 €3.45

-20.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.09 €2.75

-37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$5.46 €4.86

-29.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$5.73 €5.10

-19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.15 €1.02

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.59 €1.41

32.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$3.68 €3.27

-50.27%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$4.95 €4.40

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$12.70 €11.30

36.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$14.22 €12.65

-34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$16.79 €14.94

18.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.98 €1.76

52.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.40 €2.13

-15.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.88 €1.67

40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$5.78 €5.14

-50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.01 €1.79

7.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.86 €1.66

15.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.23 €1.09

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.71 €0.63

23.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$13.99 €12.44

-50.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$6.55 €5.82

19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.49 €1.32

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.61 €2.32

0.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$3.87 €3.45

-24.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$73.9 €65.7

-65.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$4.09 €3.64

-26.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$3.06 €2.72

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$30.19 €26.86

9.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.42 €2.15

-23.14%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$40.9K €36.4K

-20.94%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$40.0K €35.6K

-20.75%

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

$183 €163

$282 €250

-35.08%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$24.53 €21.82

-44.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$50.9 €45.26

-35.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$31.15 €27.71

75.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

$56.6 €50.4

-70.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$16.65 €14.81

-32.55%

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

$954 €849

$2,305 €2,050

-58.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$26.8K €23.8K

-38.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$59.2 €52.7

45.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$44.81 €39.86

-12.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$89.8 €79.9

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$148 €132

-19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$2,278 €2,026

-25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$1,711 €1,522

-25.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$3,159 €2,810

-18.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$2,467 €2,194

-22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$8,122 €7,225

-10.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$5,959 €5,301

-15.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$4,726 €4,204

-52.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

4.3

-23.72%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Amstelveen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Amstelveen

$1.7K 55.7% 34.1% $435

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Amstelveen

$331 10.8% 1.8% $6

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Amstelveen

$348 11.3% 29% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Amstelveen

$357 11.6% 55.7% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Amstelveen

$154 5% 1.6% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Amstelveen

$64 2.1% 16.5% $13

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Amstelveen

$109 3.5% 130% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Barcelona versus $2,278 in Amstelveen. 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 112% higher in Amstelveen, 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 $66.0 in Barcelona versus $84.0 in Amstelveen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $331 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇳🇱 Amstelveen

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

91,675

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Amstelveen 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Amstelveen

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 Amstelveen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amstelveen is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,571 per month in Barcelona and $4,611 in Amstelveen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barcelona, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 190% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $954 per month in Barcelona and $2,305 in Amstelveen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,381 in Barcelona and $3,074 in Amstelveen. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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