Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bensheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Bensheim: $2,036 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Bensheim
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Bensheim Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Bensheim

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,036

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Bensheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,036 in Bensheim.

Barcelona $2,443
Bensheim $2,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $3,068 in Bensheim.

Barcelona $3,519
Bensheim $3,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $4,101 in Bensheim.

Barcelona $4,595
Bensheim $4,101

Living in Barcelona is roughly 20% more expensive than in Bensheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Bensheim 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.79

$16.62 €14.86

6.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$80.0 €71.5

-15.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.17

$13.63 €12.19

-0.15%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

$3.98 €3.56

-22.11%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$3.55 €3.17

-15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$3.38 €3.02

-42.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.44

$5.16 €4.62

-25.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.90

$4.24 €3.79

2.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.45 €1.30

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.18 €1.95

-2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.91 €3.50

-49.62%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.26

$3.83 €3.42

24.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.26

$13.59 €12.15

25.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.01

$10.42 €9.32

-14.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.46

$26.61 €23.79

-22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$3.36 €3.00

-5.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.23 €2.00

-11.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$1.92 €1.72

38.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$3.67 €3.28

-21.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.21 €1.09

70.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.27 €1.13

71.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.14 €1.02

-14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.23

$9.87 €8.83

-29.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.05

$5.45 €4.87

44.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.11 €0.99

27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$1.53 €1.37

75.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.96

$3.41 €3.05

-2.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.90

$69.3 €62.0

-63.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.76

$4.13 €3.69

-25.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

$2.21 €1.97

-33.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.40

$36.56 €32.69

-10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.12 €1.89

-11.79%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$33.6K €30.1K

-1.94%

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

$31.9K €28.6K

$38.9K €34.8K

-17.87%

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

$183 €164

$358 €320

-48.87%

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

$14.24 €12.73

$26.78 €23.95

-46.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.91

$49.57 €44.33

-30.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.98

$39.58 €35.40

29.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.65

$26.74 €23.91

-38.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.89

$14.14 €12.65

-21.78%

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

$944 €844

$534 €477

76.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$18.3K €16.3K

21.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.4

$83.3 €74.5

5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.67

$34.71 €31.04

11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$98.8 €88.3

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$134 €120

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,517

$786 €702

115.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,195

$653 €584

104.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,407

$1,495 €1,337

80.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,857

$1,146 €1,024

81.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,398

$4,741 €4,240

50.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,542

$3,372 €3,015

50.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,004

$4,507 €4,030

-50.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.62

-11.88%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Bensheim

$653 32.1% 51.2% $684

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Bensheim

$342 16.8% 4.2% $14

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Bensheim

$284 13.9% 6.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Bensheim

$434 21.3% 87.3% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Bensheim

$158 7.8% 0.7% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Bensheim

$68 3.3% 7.7% $5.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Bensheim

$98 4.8% 98.9% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $786 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays about 2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $80 in Bensheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $342 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇩🇪 Bensheim

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

41,124

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Bensheim 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Bensheim

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 Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,036 in Bensheim, so Bensheim is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $786 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $534 in Bensheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bensheim gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Bensheim are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.