Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Best Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Best

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,297 in Best.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,183 in Best.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,068 in Best.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 8% more expensive than in Best, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Best 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$23.43 €20.20

-21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$91.3 €78.8

-24.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$13.58 €11.71

3.46%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.68 €3.17

-15.49%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.49 €3.01

-15.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.78 €2.40

-29.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.64 €4.86

-29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$5.68 €4.90

-18.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.29 €1.11

2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.96 €1.69

7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.44 €2.11

-25.00%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$5.34 €4.61

-3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$11.71 €10.10

49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$14.66 €12.64

-35.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$16.24 €14.01

22.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.12 €1.83

49.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.79 €1.54

23.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.71 €1.47

52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.29 €4.56

-46.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.22 €1.06

77.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.18 €1.01

78.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.10 €0.95

47.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.75 €0.64

17.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.42 €9.85

-37.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.71 €4.92

45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.51 €1.30

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.65 €2.28

3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$2.55 €2.20

23.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

$75.0 €64.7

-65.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.45 €2.98

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.96 €2.56

-48.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$29.88 €25.76

18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.33 €2.01

-24.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$26.6K €22.9K

37.74%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$40.3K €34.8K

-21.41%

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

$187 €161

$191 €165

-2.01%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$15.96 €13.77

-5.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$40.40 €34.84

-6.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$40.42 €34.85

37.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$24.86 €21.44

-32.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$13.81 €11.91

-15.21%

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

$1,011 €872

$1,332 €1,149

-24.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,547 €4,783

207.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$53.6 €46.19

70.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$33.49 €28.87

22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$76.0 €65.5

45.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$59.8 €51.6

110.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,548 €1,335

10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$1,155 €996

12.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$2,108 €1,818

22.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,368 €1,179

41.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$5,214 €4,496

48.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$4,445 €3,833

21.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

$4,118 €3,551

-42.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.54

-10.73%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Best: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,548 in Best. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Best pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $91.0 in Best. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $319, with Best 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 Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Best differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $2,297 including rent). Best is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Best. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,548 in Best. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $1,332 in Best. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Best is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Best 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 Best gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.