Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and the Azores

For one person, living is cheaper in the Azores: $1,611 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Azores, Portugal
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Azores
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,611
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in the Azores

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

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $1,611 in the Azores, rent included.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Azores $1,611

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $2,369 in the Azores, rent included.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Azores $2,369

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $3,126 in the Azores, rent included.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Azores $3,126

Barcelona costs about 52% more than the Azores, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barcelona and Azores sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Azores by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$11.71 €10.52
50.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$46.92 €42.15
43.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$9.52 €8.55
42.12%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$2.16 €1.94
47.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$1.93 €1.73
50.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.43 €1.28
32.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$2.25 €2.02
78.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$3.52 €3.16
28.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.05 €0.94
24.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.53 €1.38
32.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.61 €1.44
14.91%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$2.98 €2.68
62.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$11.46 €10.29
46.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$7.67 €6.89
18.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$14.24 €12.80
37.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$2.28 €2.05
30.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.41 €1.27
43.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$1.79 €1.61
50.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$2.53 €2.28
10.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.51 €1.36
38.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$1.84 €1.66
12.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.55 €1.39
-5.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.86 €0.77
9.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$6.19 €5.56
10.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$5.14 €4.61
53.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.30 €1.16
8.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$2.31 €2.07
9.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.29 €2.05
37.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$42.46 €38.14
-40.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$4.09 €3.67
-26.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.86 €0.77
73.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$17.57 €15.78
89.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.99 €1.78
-9.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$34.4K €30.9K
-3.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$39.5K €35.5K
-19.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$135 €121
33.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$21.13 €18.98
-34.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$41.30 €37.10
-18.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$44.64 €40.10
15.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$17.35 €15.58
-8.01%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$8.48 €7.62
29.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$471 €423
94.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$8,351 €7,502
97.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$73.9 €66.3
17.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$38.73 €34.79
-0.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$92.6 €83.2
14.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$92.2 €82.8
29.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$944 €848
80.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$734 €659
84.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$1,457 €1,309
78.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$1,169 €1,050
76.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$3,049 €2,739
126.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$2,337 €2,100
119.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Azores
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.01
-34.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Azores: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Azores
$734 45.9% $622
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Azores
$245 23.7% $76
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Azores
$180 32.9% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Azores
$197 13.5% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Azores
$134 15.3% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Azores
$62 16.2% $12
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Azores
$60 23.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $944 in the Azores. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $47 in the Azores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $245 – making Azores the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇵🇹 Azores
🕒 Local time
22:20 10:20 PM
20:20 8:20 PM
2 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
236,657
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Azores 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Azores

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 Azores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Azores cheaper than Barcelona?
Yes – Barcelona is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $2,417 in the Azores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in the Azores, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.
How do food prices compare in Barcelona and in the Azores?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Barcelona, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Barcelona or in the Azores?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona and $47 in the Azores. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is Barcelona or Azores more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward the Azores – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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