Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cagliari Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cagliari

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,779 in Cagliari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,811 in Cagliari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,844 in Cagliari.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Cagliari, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Cagliari 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$23.44 €20.18

-25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$91.0 €78.3

-24.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.96 €9.44

28.28%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.76 €1.52

57.95%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.91 €2.51

-3.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.36 €1.17

51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.74 €4.94

-22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.62 €3.98

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.65 €1.42

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.32 €2.00

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.41 €2.94

-43.70%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.39 €2.92

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$17.00 €14.63

8.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$12.78 €11.00

-25.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$19.36 €16.67

-1.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.44 €2.10

8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.68 €1.45

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.22 €1.91

-4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.65 €3.14

-21.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.89 €1.63

7.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.08 €1.79

-11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.45 €1.25

1.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 €0.51

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.97 €6.00

2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.21 €7.06

-4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.71 €1.47

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.42 €1.22

62.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.52 €1.31

96.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$40.11 €34.53

-27.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.79 €3.26

21.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.12 €0.96

84.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$29.77 €25.63

-1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.05 €1.76

-10.24%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.4K €28.8K

16.69%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$35.0K €30.1K

-6.57%

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

$188 €162

$178 €153

5.46%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$13.41 €11.54

70.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$31.46 €27.08

16.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$52.7 €45.34

8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$44.83 €38.59

-53.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.54 €9.07

6.17%

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

$721 €621

$539 €464

33.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$7,994 €6,882

88.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$89.8 €77.3

-3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$61.4 €52.8

-39.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$84.6 €72.8

20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$117 €101

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$907 €781

69.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$641 €552

90.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,426 €1,228

89.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,021 €879

97.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,362 €2,894

114.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,575 €2,217

101.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,896 €1,632

24.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.87

-30.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cagliari: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $907 in Cagliari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% 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 $91.0 in Cagliari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $340 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 Cagliari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cagliari differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,779 including rent). Cagliari is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 24% 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 $907 in Cagliari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $539 in Cagliari. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,779 in Cagliari versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cagliari but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cagliari 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 Cagliari 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 Cagliari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.