Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burgos Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burgos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,463 in Burgos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,158 in Burgos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,852 in Burgos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 60% more expensive than Burgos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Burgos 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$13.98 €11.97

25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$57.3 €49.04

19.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.37 €8.02

46.74%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.85 €1.58

49.19%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.36 €2.02

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.52 €1.30

34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.51 €3.00

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.29 €1.96

100.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.25 €1.07

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.24 €1.06

70.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.26 €1.93

-12.83%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.50 €2.14

37.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$19.82 €16.97

-4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.79 €5.81

39.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$15.26 €13.06

24.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.96 €1.68

38.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.55 €1.33

52.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.70 €1.45

22.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.85 €2.44

-3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.43 €1.23

37.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.16 €1.85

-17.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.02 €0.88

48.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.72 €0.62

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$8.18 €7.00

-17.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.17 €6.13

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.19 €1.02

21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.35 €1.16

78.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.43 €1.22

111.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$25.77 €22.06

10.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.91 €2.49

52.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.01 €0.87

102.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$23.59 €20.20

24.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.90 €1.63

-0.53%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$39.0K €33.4K

-0.77%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$28.5K €24.4K

13.44%

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

$189 €161

$126 €108

49.22%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$22.79 €19.51

-2.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$22.87 €19.58

61.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$43.49 €37.23

33.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$11.00 €9.42

90.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$8.15 €6.98

35.58%

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

$726 €622

$458 €392

58.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,963 €5,961

118.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$111 €95.1

-20.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$36.44 €31.20

1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$64.4 €55.2

59.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$162 €139

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$754 €646

102.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$554 €474

119.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,031 €882

171.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$769 €658

163.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,354 €2,015

201.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,147 €1,838

125.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,104 €1,801

14.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Burgos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $754 in Burgos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Burgos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $268 per month, with Burgos 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 Burgos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Burgos differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,463 including rent). Burgos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 14% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $754 in Burgos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $458 in Burgos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,463 in Burgos versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Burgos but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Burgos 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 Burgos 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 Burgos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.