Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
Learn more

Amsterdam Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Barcelona $2,453
Amsterdam $3,517

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $5,063 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Barcelona $3,509
Amsterdam $5,063

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $6,608 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Barcelona $4,564
Amsterdam $6,608

Barcelona is about 30% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Barcelona and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Amsterdam by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.80

$22.34 €20.07

-21.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$88.6 €79.6

-23.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.15

$14.80 €13.30

-8.58%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.87

$4.65 €4.18

-31.40%

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

$2.91 €2.62

$3.69 €3.32

-21.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.90 €2.60

-34.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$7.92 €7.12

-49.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.07

$6.54 €5.87

-30.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.44 €1.29

-9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.40 €2.15

-15.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.50 €2.25

-26.00%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$5.15 €4.63

-6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.04

$16.90 €15.19

-0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.19

$12.73 €11.44

-28.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.64

$22.87 €20.55

-14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.75 €2.47

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.74 €2.46

-26.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.74 €2.47

-1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$3.86 €3.47

-27.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.52 €2.27

-17.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.65 €1.49

25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.51 €1.35

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.69 €1.52

-44.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$14.52 €13.04

-52.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.09

$8.60 €7.73

-8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.78 €1.60

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.51 €2.25

1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$3.70 €3.32

-15.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

$117 €105

-78.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.69

$4.69 €4.21

-36.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$3.42 €3.08

-56.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.99

$39.00 €35.04

-14.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.62

$2.56 €2.30

-29.69%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$40.6K €36.5K

-18.22%

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

$31.7K €28.5K

$38.9K €34.9K

-18.48%

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

$180 €162

$306 €275

-41.13%

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

$13.84 €12.43

$22.66 €20.36

-38.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.28

$52.8 €47.47

-36.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.28

$55.0 €49.38

-6.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

$35.66 €32.04

-55.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

$16.48 €14.81

-33.31%

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

$917 €824

$2,778 €2,496

-67.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$17.0K €15.2K

-2.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

$92.7 €83.3

-6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.60

$41.28 €37.09

-6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

$101 €91.1

4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

$134 €120

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

$2,642 €2,374

-35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,218

$1,989 €1,787

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,339

$4,165 €3,742

-37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,853

$3,251 €2,921

-36.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,213

$10.6K €9,482

-34.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,607

$6,734 €6,050

-23.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

$4,625 €4,156

-52.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.3

-0.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6% 46.8% $634

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Amsterdam

$381 10.8% 18.3% $59

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Amsterdam

$358 10.2% 33.6% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Amsterdam

$382 10.9% 67.5% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Amsterdam

$166 4.7% 5.2% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Amsterdam

$88 2.5% 19.6% $14

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 216% $105

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $2,642 in Amsterdam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Amsterdam are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $89 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $381 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Amsterdam 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $5,276 in Amsterdam. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,699 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $917 per month in Barcelona and $2,778 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Barcelona, where all-in costs run around $2,453, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Barcelona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Barcelona costs $2,453 versus $3,517 in Amsterdam. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.