Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benidorm Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benidorm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,738 in Benidorm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,570 in Benidorm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,403 in Benidorm.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than in Benidorm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Benidorm 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$15.13 €13.24

16.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$53.1 €46.41

31.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$9.97 €8.72

42.03%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.39 €2.10

17.15%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.43 €2.13

15.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.43 €1.25

44.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.53 €3.08

30.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.52 €3.08

33.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.11 €0.97

10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.32 €1.15

53.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.52 €1.33

30.26%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.92 €2.55

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$11.35 €9.93

61.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$8.64 €7.56

13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$13.95 €12.20

37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.17 €1.90

25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.86 €1.63

27.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.07 €1.81

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.33 €2.04

18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.86 €1.63

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.91 €1.67

-6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.09 €0.96

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.44 €0.38

106.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.13 €5.37

16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$5.08 €4.44

55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.32 €1.16

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.50 €1.31

59.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.83 €1.60

64.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$40.29 €35.25

-27.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.56 €3.11

22.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.25 €1.09

70.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$25.18 €22.03

17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.83 €1.60

-0.55%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$31.8K €27.8K

19.18%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$31.8K €27.9K

1.68%

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

$189 €165

$144 €126

31.63%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$13.66 €11.95

63.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$29.85 €26.12

24.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$51.2 €44.81

13.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$41.07 €35.93

-49.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$10.11 €8.85

7.52%

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

$706 €618

$398 €348

77.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,464 €6,530

99.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$100 €87.8

-10.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$28.85 €25.24

26.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$69.8 €61.1

49.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$104 €90.9

14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$954 €835

65.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$833 €729

48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,635 €1,431

65.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,306 €1,143

56.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$5,229 €4,575

43.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,737 €2,395

91.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,752 €1,533

34.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.13

8.31%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Benidorm: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $954 in Benidorm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 35% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Benidorm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $242 per month, with Benidorm 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 Benidorm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Benidorm differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,738 including rent). Benidorm is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $954 in Benidorm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $398 in Benidorm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,738 in Benidorm versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Benidorm but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Benidorm 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 Benidorm 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 Benidorm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.