Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Busto Arsizio Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Busto Arsizio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,007 in Busto Arsizio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,912 in Busto Arsizio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,816 in Busto Arsizio.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 18% more expensive than Busto Arsizio, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Busto Arsizio 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$19.16 €16.50

-8.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$82.5 €71.0

-17.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.44 €9.85

22.90%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.93 €1.66

44.04%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.38 €2.91

-17.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.28 €1.11

60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.19 €5.33

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.38 €4.63

-14.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.58 €1.36

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.55 €2.20

-20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.85 €3.31

-50.13%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.98 €3.43

-16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$15.35 €13.22

20.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$13.38 €11.52

-29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$25.82 €22.23

-25.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.99 €1.71

32.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.26 €1.94

8.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.56 €2.21

-17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.56 €3.06

-19.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.05 €1.76

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.73 €1.49

6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.59 €0.51

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.35 €6.33

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.98 €5.15

31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.05 €1.77

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.68 €2.31

-13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.78 €1.53

67.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$43.20 €37.20

-32.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.99 €3.44

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.19 €1.89

-5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$46.03 €39.63

-36.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.07 €1.78

-11.11%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.0K €28.4K

18.31%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

-10.99%

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

$188 €162

$242 €208

-22.39%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$13.66 €11.76

67.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$30.35 €26.13

20.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$34.18 €29.43

67.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$23.38 €20.13

-11.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.04 €10.37

-7.06%

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

$721 €621

$543 €467

32.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,623 €3,981

225.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$89.8 €77.3

-3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$37.66 €32.43

-1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$114 €98.1

-10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$140 €121

-17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,353 €1,165

13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$745 €642

63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,049 €1,765

31.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,078 €928

86.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,677 €2,305

169.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,647 €1,418

215.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,224 €1,915

6.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.68

-27.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Busto Arsizio: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,353 in Busto Arsizio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 6% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Busto Arsizio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $365 per month, with Barcelona 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 Busto Arsizio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Busto Arsizio differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,007 including rent). Busto Arsizio is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 6% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,353 in Busto Arsizio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $543 in Busto Arsizio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,007 in Busto Arsizio versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Busto Arsizio but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.