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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,493 in Burgos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,176 in Burgos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,859 in Burgos.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 61% more expensive than Burgos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Burgos 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$13.62 €11.73

29.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$58.7 €50.5

19.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.48 €8.17

44.09%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.90 €1.63

44.21%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.37 €2.04

17.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.53 €1.32

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.51 €3.02

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.35 €2.02

94.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.20 €1.04

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.20 €1.03

70.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.23 €1.92

-11.21%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.51 €2.17

35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$20.08 €17.29

-7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$7.10 €6.11

34.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.28 €13.15

23.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.91 €1.65

43.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.49 €1.28

65.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.75 €1.51

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.43 €1.23

41.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.16 €1.86

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.99 €0.85

52.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.77 €0.66

16.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$8.06 €6.94

-12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$7.88 €6.78

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.14 €0.98

25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.37 €1.18

67.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.36 €1.17

111.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$26.38 €22.72

7.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$2.91 €2.50

50.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.06 €0.92

101.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$23.31 €20.07

25.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.80 €1.55

3.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.7K €33.3K

0.79%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$28.5K €24.6K

14.65%

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

$189 €163

$127 €109

48.75%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$22.95 €19.76

-1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$22.82 €19.65

59.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$43.68 €37.62

31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$10.59 €9.12

101.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$8.57 €7.38

26.14%

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

$726 €625

$465 €400

56.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$6,826 €5,878

121.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$114 €98.4

-23.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$36.70 €31.61

0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$64.3 €55.4

61.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$164 €141

-28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$760 €655

106.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$565 €486

115.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,017 €876

166.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$766 €659

156.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,336 €2,012

234.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$2,073 €1,785

154.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$2,666 €2,296

-10.92%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Burgos: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $760 in Burgos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burgos pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in Burgos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $270 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 61% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,493 including rent). Burgos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Burgos earns 12% less. 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $760 in Burgos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $465 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 $1,493 in Burgos versus $2,399 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 61% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.