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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,209 in Arnhem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,392 in Arnhem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,574 in Arnhem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 7% more expensive than Arnhem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Arnhem 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$18.82 €16.19

-6.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$71.1 €61.1

-3.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$13.12 €11.29

7.16%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.23 €3.64

-34.28%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.21 €2.76

-12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.48 €2.13

-16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.34 €5.46

-29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.22 €4.49

-11.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.23 €1.06

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.42 €2.08

-16.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.23 €2.78

-40.56%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.77 €4.11

-30.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.94 €11.99

32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$17.09 €14.70

-44.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$17.13 €14.74

11.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.39 €2.05

10.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.49 €2.14

-1.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.94 €1.67

9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.14 €3.56

-31.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.18 €1.87

-6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.16 €1.86

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.24 €1.06

18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.78 €0.67

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$14.52 €12.49

-50.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.18 €6.17

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.36 €1.17

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.74 €2.36

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$4.23 €3.63

-29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$117 €101

-74.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.86 €3.32

19.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.62 €2.26

-20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$27.68 €23.81

5.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.20 €1.89

-16.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$37.5K €32.3K

3.97%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$39.2K €33.7K

-16.61%

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

$188 €162

$265 €228

-29.15%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$29.80 €25.63

-23.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$52.6 €45.24

-30.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$42.61 €36.66

34.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$7.59 €6.53

172.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$14.99 €12.90

-25.35%

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

$721 €620

$1,866 €1,605

-61.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,166 €5,304

143.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$94.3 €81.2

-8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$17.69 €15.22

109.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.6 €73.6

19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$88.7 €76.3

30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,163 €1,001

31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$873 €751

39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,070 €1,780

30.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,657 €1,425

21.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$5,398 €4,643

33.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$4,238 €3,645

22.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,834 €3,298

-38.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.25

4.31%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arnhem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,163 in Arnhem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Arnhem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $354 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,209 including rent). Arnhem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arnhem earns 62% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,163 in Arnhem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Arnhem – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,209 in Arnhem versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arnhem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Arnhem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Arnhem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.