Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arona Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,715 in Arona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,633 in Arona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,552 in Arona.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 45% more expensive than in Arona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Arona 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$17.29 €14.90

6.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$80.5 €69.4

-13.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.54 €8.22

47.27%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.79 €1.54

73.74%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$4.00 €3.45

-26.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.18 €1.02

65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$4.14 €3.56

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.88 €5.07

-21.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.47 €1.27

-10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.36 €2.03

-10.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$4.16 €3.59

-56.01%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.16 €2.72

63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$15.42 €13.29

13.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$14.76 €12.72

-35.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$15.50 €13.36

28.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.88 €2.49

10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.68 €1.45

31.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.28 €2.82

-20.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.31 €1.99

23.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.00 €1.73

8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.85 €1.59

14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.76 €1.51

-7.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.68 €0.59

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$7.12 €6.14

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$4.74 €4.09

75.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.94 €0.81

59.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.77 €1.53

55.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.70 €1.46

84.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$45.29 €39.03

-42.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$5.82 €5.02

-44.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.93 €1.66

-21.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$31.82 €27.42

10.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.05 €1.77

-14.63%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$37.3K €32.2K

-1.75%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$36.7K €31.6K

-13.62%

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

$187 €161

$206 €178

-9.27%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$12.07 €10.40

25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$28.03 €24.16

34.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$62.8 €54.1

-11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$26.82 €23.12

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$13.90 €11.98

-15.76%

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

$1,011 €871

$915 €789

10.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$20.3K €17.5K

-15.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$96.8 €83.5

-5.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$38.92 €33.55

5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$150 €129

-26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$127 €110

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$768 €662

121.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$664 €572

95.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,230

$1,119 €965

131.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$939 €810

105.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,664

$2,706 €2,333

185.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,640

$2,319 €1,999

132.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.4

-7.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Arona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $768 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $80.0 in Arona. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $326, with Arona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arona is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $2,572 in Arona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $768 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $915 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,715 in Arona versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arona but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Arona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arona is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Arona 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 Arona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.