Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Assis

For one person, living is cheaper in Assis: $862 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Assis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$862
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Assis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $862 in Assis.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Assis $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $1,343 in Assis.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Assis $1,343

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $1,825 in Assis.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Assis $1,825

Living in Barcelona is roughly 176% more expensive than in Assis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Assis is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$5.98 R$30.31
199.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$23.64 R$120
179.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$5.92 R$30.03
131.25%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.01 R$10.21
52.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$1.18 R$5.97
160.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$0.82 R$4.14
136.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$1.62 R$8.21
138.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$2.02 R$10.24
128.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.12 R$5.68
16.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.26 R$6.40
66.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$1.30 R$6.60
40.77%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$1.53 R$7.74
201.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$7.51 R$38.09
131.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$5.24 R$26.56
77.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$8.58 R$43.50
131.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$2.12 R$10.76
41.98%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.17 R$5.92
73.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.22 R$6.18
117.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$1.51 R$7.63
90.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.15 R$5.83
87.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$0.98 R$4.98
119.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$0.91 R$4.62
61.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.97 R$4.92
-9.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$2.46 R$12.47
181.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$6.21 R$31.48
26.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.44 R$7.29
-3.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.02 R$10.24
30.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
$1.01 R$5.09
188.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
$44.54 R$226
-42.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$2.37 R$12.02
26.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.78 R$3.94
84.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$2.85 R$14.45
1064.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.25 R$6.33
48.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$35.3K R$178.8K
-8.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$32.8K R$166.0K
-3.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$86.7 R$439
110.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$10.97 R$55.6
24.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$23.00 R$117
43.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
$26.07 R$132
109.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
$28.03 R$142
-41.06%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$5.89 R$29.85
90.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$212 R$1,074
350.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$7,614 R$38.6K
118.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$43.34 R$220
98.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$58.9 R$299
-33.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$86.0 R$436
20.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$60.1 R$305
97.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$359 R$1,817
372.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$243 R$1,234
424.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$677 R$3,432
280.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$471 R$2,385
308.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
$1,718 R$8,708
323.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
$1,206 R$6,112
315.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Assis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$594 R$3,011
274.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
10.5
-68.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Assis: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Assis
$243 80.9% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Assis
$184 43.4% $141
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Assis
$110 59.2% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Assis
$121 47.4% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Assis
$112 28.5% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Assis
$38 50.9% $39
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Assis
$55 15.9% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $359 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 275% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $184 per month, with Assis cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇧🇷 Assis
🕒 Local time
04:14 4:14 AM
23:14 11:14 PM
5 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
101,409
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Assis 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Assis

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 Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Assis cheaper than Barcelona?
Assis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 176% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Barcelona or Assis?
Average pay runs 275% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Barcelona and Assis?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $359 in Assis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 75% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $212 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Barcelona or in Assis?
At $862 in Assis versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Barcelona or Assis more family-friendly?
For families, Assis 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.
Which city is safer, Barcelona or Assis?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Assis are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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