Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ancona

For one person, living is cheaper in Ancona: $1,623 a month against $2,405 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ancona
Learn more

Ancona Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Ancona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ancona

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

A single person spends $2,405 per month in Barcelona vs $1,623 in Ancona, rent included.

Barcelona $2,405
Ancona $1,623

A couple spends around $3,477 per month in Barcelona vs $2,407 in Ancona, rent included.

Barcelona $3,477
Ancona $2,407

A family of three spends $4,550 per month in Barcelona vs $3,191 in Ancona, rent included.

Barcelona $4,550
Ancona $3,191

Barcelona costs about 48% more than Ancona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Barcelona and Ancona sit above the global median – Barcelona by 79%, Ancona by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.05

$16.87 €15.05

6.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

$79.1 €70.6

-14.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$11.19 €9.98

19.48%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$2.03 €1.81

64.53%

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

$2.95 €2.64

$2.57 €2.29

14.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.23 €1.10

54.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

$5.58 €4.98

-30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

$5.53 €4.93

-17.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.19 €1.07

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.26 €2.02

-13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.25 €2.01

-22.22%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$2.85 €2.55

71.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.59

$13.65 €12.18

27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$11.11 €9.92

-18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$17.28 €15.42

16.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.34 €2.09

31.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.49 €1.33

36.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.40 €2.15

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$3.00 €2.68

-9.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.56 €1.39

37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.86 €1.66

18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.43 €1.27

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.39 €0.35

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$6.83 €6.10

3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

$5.52 €4.93

38.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.54 €1.38

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.11 €1.88

29.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

$1.66 €1.49

77.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.13

$38.98 €34.78

-33.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

$5.58 €4.98

-43.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.70 €1.52

-14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

$28.30 €25.26

20.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$2.01 €1.80

-10.95%

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

$34.7K €31.0K

$32.6K €29.1K

6.24%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$35.4K €31.6K

-14.40%

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

$181 €161

$274 €244

-34.05%

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

$13.56 €12.10

$14.08 €12.57

-3.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

$36.08 €32.20

-2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

$63.3 €56.5

-15.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.33

$19.49 €17.40

-17.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

$11.39 €10.17

-0.18%

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

$939 €838

$287 €256

227.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$86.3 €77.1

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

$31.46 €28.08

26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$91.1 €81.3

13.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$99.9 €89.2

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

$602 €537

181.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$474 €423

174.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,299

$909 €812

183.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

$664 €592

192.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

$3,078 €2,746

142.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,636

$2,038 €1,819

154.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

$1,727 €1,541

33.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

9.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ancona: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Ancona

$474 29.3% 63.5% $826

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Ancona

$290 17.9% 10.6% $35

Eating Out

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Ancona

$247 15.2% 9.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Ancona

$324 20% 41.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Ancona

$139 8.6% 12% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Ancona

$86 5.3% 13.4% $10

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Ancona

$60 3.7% 24.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Barcelona versus $602 in Ancona. 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 33% 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 $67.0 in Barcelona versus $79.0 in Ancona. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Barcelona vs $290 in Ancona – so Ancona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇮🇹 Ancona

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

100,861

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Ancona 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Ancona

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 Ancona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Barcelona is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,607 per month in Barcelona and $2,435 in Ancona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 50% less in Ancona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $939 per month in Barcelona and $287 in Ancona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ancona, where all-in costs run around $1,623, than in Barcelona at $2,405. In Ancona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ancona – 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 Ancona. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.