Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bari Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bari

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,803 in Bari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,656 in Bari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,509 in Bari.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bari, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Bari 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$17.16 €14.86

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$71.6 €62.0

-4.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$12.54 €10.86

8.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.94 €1.68

43.30%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.14 €1.86

31.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.28 €1.11

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$4.70 €4.07

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.59 €3.97

0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.80 €1.56

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.03 €1.75

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.01 €2.61

-33.89%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.88 €3.36

-13.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$14.54 €12.59

30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$12.18 €10.55

-21.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$17.59 €15.23

6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.24 €1.94

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.00 €1.73

17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.07 €1.79

0.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.28 €2.84

-16.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.72 €1.49

13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.69 €1.46

7.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.31 €1.14

15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.52 €0.45

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.12 €6.17

-4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.60 €6.59

4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.40 €1.21

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.00 €1.73

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.21 €1.05

140.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$37.49 €32.47

-23.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$17.43 €15.10

-73.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.02 €1.75

0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$35.32 €30.59

-18.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.05 €1.77

-11.22%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$35.7K €30.9K

10.17%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$26.8K €23.2K

20.98%

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

$187 €162

-0.27%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$13.57 €11.75

64.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$29.60 €25.63

22.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$48.29 €41.82

19.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$20.12 €17.42

3.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$8.86 €7.67

21.56%

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

$725 €628

$640 €554

13.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$18.9K €16.4K

-19.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$101 €87.2

-12.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$49.22 €42.63

-25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$104 €90.3

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$153 €133

-22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$832 €721

83.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$677 €586

81.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,384 €1,198

97.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,016 €880

95.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,745 €3,243

99.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,060 €1,784

154.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,915 €1,659

24.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.74

-28.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bari: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $832 in Bari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 25% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $72.0 in Bari. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $317, with Bari 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 Bari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bari differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,803 including rent). Bari is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $832 in Bari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $640 in Bari. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,803 in Bari versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bari but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Bari 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 Bari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.