Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bethlehem

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethlehem: $1,593 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem
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Bethlehem Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Bethlehem

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Bethlehem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,593 in Bethlehem.

Barcelona $2,453
Bethlehem $1,593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,473 in Bethlehem.

Barcelona $3,509
Bethlehem $2,473

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,353 in Bethlehem.

Barcelona $4,564
Bethlehem $3,353

Living in Barcelona is roughly 54% more expensive than in Bethlehem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bethlehem 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$11.16 ₪34.99

57.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$49.06 ₪154

37.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$13.91 ₪43.63

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$4.48 ₪14.05

-28.79%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$1.32 ₪4.13

120.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.01 ₪3.17

87.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$6.14 ₪19.27

-34.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$8.19 ₪25.68

-44.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.99 ₪6.25

-34.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$0.92 ₪2.88

119.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.23 ₪6.98

-17.04%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$2.62 ₪8.22

84.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$10.69 ₪33.53

56.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$9.80 ₪30.72

-6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$20.40 ₪64.0

-3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.67 ₪11.51

-18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.05 ₪6.42

-1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$1.59 ₪4.98

69.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$2.36 ₪7.40

18.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.50 ₪4.70

39.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.59 ₪4.98

30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.64 ₪5.14

-10.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.00 ₪3.13

-6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$10.02 ₪31.41

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$14.48 ₪45.40

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.22 ₪6.97

-36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.22 ₪6.96

14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.44 ₪7.66

28.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

$144 ₪450

-82.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$3.18 ₪9.98

-5.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$3.33 ₪10.44

-55.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$3.20 ₪10.04

942.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$2.37 ₪7.42

-24.05%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$40.9K ₪128.3K

-18.86%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$48.3K ₪151.4K

-34.33%

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

$180 €162

$195 ₪613

-7.69%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$39.21 ₪123

-64.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$32.23 ₪101

4.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$65.7 ₪206

-21.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

$32.15 ₪101

-50.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$8.32 ₪26.07

32.09%

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

$917 €821

$98.8 ₪310

827.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$9,843 ₪30.9K

67.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$49.10 ₪154

77.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$97.0 ₪304

-60.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$112 ₪351

-5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$164 ₪514

-27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$481 ₪1,507

253.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$329 ₪1,031

312.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$895 ₪2,806

190.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$639 ₪2,005

222.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$1,618 ₪5,074

327.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$1,125 ₪3,529

355.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$1,304 ₪4,090

69.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

-67.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Bethlehem

$329 20.7% 75.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Bethlehem

$310 19.5% 3.6% $12

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Bethlehem

$241 15.1% 10% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Bethlehem

$267 16.8% 17.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Bethlehem

$190 11.9% 20.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Bethlehem

$82 5.2% 12.1% $8.9

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Bethlehem

$173 10.9% 257% $125

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $481 in Bethlehem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $49 in Bethlehem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $310 per month, with Bethlehem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇵🇸 Bethlehem

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

29,019

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Bethlehem 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Bethlehem

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 Bethlehem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,593 in Bethlehem, so Bethlehem is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $481 in Bethlehem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $99 in Bethlehem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Bethlehem 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 Bethlehem are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Bethlehem wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.