Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arta

For one person, living is cheaper in Arta: $1,357 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Arta
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Arta Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Arta

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,357

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Arta

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

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $1,357 in Arta, rent included.

Barcelona $2,453
Arta $1,357

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $2,014 in Arta, rent included.

Barcelona $3,509
Arta $2,014

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $2,670 in Arta, rent included.

Barcelona $4,564
Arta $2,670

Barcelona costs about 81% more than Arta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$11.12 €9.96

58.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$44.53 €39.90

51.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$10.02 €8.98

35.03%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$4.13 €3.70

-22.76%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$2.88 €2.58

1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$0.59 €0.53

220.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$5.37 €4.81

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$6.26 €5.61

-27.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.20 €1.07

9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.09 €0.98

85.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$0.93 €0.83

98.92%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$3.28 €2.93

47.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$13.31 €11.93

25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$11.39 €10.21

-19.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$11.19 €10.03

75.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$1.00 €0.89

198.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.24 €1.11

62.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$1.20 €1.07

125.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$1.03 €0.92

171.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.24 €1.11

68.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.11 €0.99

86.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$0.80 €0.72

82.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.18 €0.16

422.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$5.17 €4.63

32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$4.51 €4.04

74.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.92 €0.83

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.28 €2.04

11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$1.23 €1.10

155.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

$43.68 €39.14

-41.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$4.11 €3.69

-27.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.09 €0.98

36.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$16.73 €14.99

99.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$2.11 €1.89

-14.69%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$28.0K €25.0K

18.75%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$28.3K €25.4K

12.00%

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

$180 €162

$218 €196

-17.40%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$23.36 €20.93

-40.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$24.22 €21.70

39.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$50.9 €45.59

1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

$21.67 €19.42

-26.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$10.61 €9.50

3.58%

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

$917 €821

$479 €429

91.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$9,057 €8,116

81.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$91.1 €81.6

-4.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$28.21 €25.28

36.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$77.8 €69.7

35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$89.7 €80.4

33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$495 €443

243.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$388 €348

249.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$736 €660

253.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$618 €554

233.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$2,610 €2,339

164.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$1,755 €1,573

192.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$895 €802

146.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.34

-38.58%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Arta

$388 28.6% 71.4% $967

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Arta

$222 16.4% 31% $100

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Arta

$222 16.3% 17.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Arta

$266 19.6% 16.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Arta

$129 9.5% 18.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Arta

$72 5.3% 1.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Arta

$58 4.3% 19.9% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $495 in Arta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Barcelona are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $45 in Arta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $222 – making Arta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇬🇷 Arta

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

19,435

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Arta 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Arta

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 Arta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Barcelona is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $2,036 in Arta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $495 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.

Kindergarten costs $917 per month in Barcelona and $479 in Arta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Arta, where all-in costs run around $1,357, than in Barcelona at $2,453. In Arta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Arta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.