Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arnhem Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arnhem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,681 in Arnhem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,905 in Arnhem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $5,128 in Arnhem.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 8% less than in Arnhem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Arnhem 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$23.23 €20.25

-19.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$88.2 €76.9

-21.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$13.71 €11.96

0.44%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.22 €3.68

-26.54%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$3.34 €2.91

-15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.71 €2.36

-30.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.89 €5.14

-32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.95 €5.19

-23.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.26 €1.10

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.11 €1.84

2.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.44 €3.00

-48.84%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.37 €4.68

-4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.66 €11.90

30.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$15.04 €13.11

-35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$16.67 €14.53

20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.76 €2.40

17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.51 €2.19

-11.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.87 €1.63

39.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$5.50 €4.80

-49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.92 €1.68

15.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.47 €2.15

-14.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.27 €1.11

22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.78 €0.68

21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$14.29 €12.46

-48.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.48 €6.52

7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.50 €1.31

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.82 €2.45

-1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$4.72 €4.11

-34.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$115 €100

-77.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.05 €3.53

-19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.43 €2.12

-39.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$33.56 €29.26

2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.41 €2.10

-28.22%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$43.3K €37.7K

-15.98%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$39.8K €34.7K

-23.26%

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

$187 €163

$291 €253

-35.61%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$23.78 €20.73

-36.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$44.87 €39.12

-16.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$41.79 €36.43

33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$11.56 €10.08

47.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$14.74 €12.85

-22.59%

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

$997 €869

$1,310 €1,142

-23.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,161 €5,370

168.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$101 €88.3

-8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$30.14 €26.28

36.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$110 €95.6

1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$161 €140

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,501 €1,308

13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,182 €1,031

8.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,269 €1,978

13.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,878 €1,637

3.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$5,300 €4,620

44.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$4,263 €3,716

21.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,800 €3,313

-38.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.95

-20.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,501 in Arnhem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 62% 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 $88.0 in Arnhem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $352 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 Arnhem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Arnhem differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,681 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Arnhem. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,501 in Arnhem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Arnhem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $88.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Arnhem 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.