Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arrest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,973 in Arrest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,037 in Arrest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,101 in Arrest.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 20% more expensive than Arrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Arrest 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$17.24 €14.83

1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$73.8 €63.4

-7.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$14.04 €12.08

0.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.69 €4.03

-40.72%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$4.07 €3.50

-31.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$3.43 €2.95

-39.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$8.08 €6.95

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$8.03 €6.91

-42.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.61 €1.39

-22.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.03 €1.75

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.94 €2.53

-34.69%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$5.16 €4.44

-35.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$25.78 €22.17

-28.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$13.92 €11.97

-31.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$19.55 €16.82

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.59 €3.09

-26.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.48 €2.13

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.36 €2.89

-36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.76 €3.23

-24.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.61 €2.25

-21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.07 €2.64

-39.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.81 €1.56

-18.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.86 €0.74

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$15.15 €13.03

-52.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.28 €5.40

25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.79 €2.40

-50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.98 €3.43

-41.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.91 €1.64

56.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$48.14 €41.41

-39.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$4.55 €3.92

1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.06 €1.77

0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$55.8 €48.00

-47.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.08 €1.79

-11.54%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.4K €30.4K

10.22%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$36.0K €31.0K

-9.29%

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

$188 €162

$247 €213

-24.03%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$16.64 €14.31

37.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$35.71 €30.71

2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$37.78 €32.50

51.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$18.09 €15.56

14.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$15.51 €13.34

-27.85%

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

$721 €620

$874 €752

-17.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,764 €7,539

71.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$116 €99.9

-25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$47.71 €41.04

-22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$126 €108

-18.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$155 €134

-25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$767 €660

99.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$621 €534

96.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,408 €1,212

91.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,065 €916

89.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,263 €3,667

69.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,359 €2,889

54.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.55

-4.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arrest: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $767 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $405 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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arrest is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $2,960 in Arrest 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $767 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $874 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,973 in Arrest versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arrest but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Arrest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arrest 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 Arrest 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 Arrest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.