Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Calella Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Calella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,641 in Calella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,426 in Calella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,211 in Calella.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than in Calella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Calella 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.83

$15.14 €13.01

21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.6

$57.7 €49.58

20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.07

$8.22 €7.07

70.92%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.51 €2.16

23.90%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$2.52 €2.16

17.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.85 €1.59

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$3.58 €3.07

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.48 €2.99

32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.19 €1.03

10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.09 €1.80

0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.00 €2.58

-39.00%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$3.19 €2.74

61.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.09

$15.13 €13.00

16.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$8.39 €7.21

13.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.13

$15.82 €13.60

25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$2.59 €2.22

22.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.04 €1.76

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.66 €1.42

57.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.57 €2.21

10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.87 €1.61

16.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.94 €1.67

8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.55 €1.34

4.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.64 €0.55

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$6.94 €5.97

3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$5.95 €5.11

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.07 €0.92

40.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.47 €2.12

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.45 €1.25

116.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.56

$38.89 €33.42

-32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$4.67 €4.01

-31.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.37 €1.18

10.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.30

$15.04 €12.92

134.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.73 €1.49

1.16%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$40.9K €35.2K

-10.44%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$32.9K €28.2K

-3.62%

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

$187 €161

$119 €102

57.88%

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

$15.10 €12.97

$14.06 €12.08

7.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.31

$26.67 €22.92

40.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.68

$51.2 €43.96

8.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.38

$16.09 €13.83

4.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.06

$8.57 €7.36

36.64%

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

$1,011 €869

$574 €493

76.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$10.4K €8,897

64.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.5

$64.8 €55.7

40.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.23

$21.86 €18.78

87.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.0

$117 €101

-5.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$162 €140

-22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,464

$917 €788

85.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$698 €600

86.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,224

$1,400 €1,203

84.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,658

$1,055 €906

82.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,644

$3,531 €3,034

118.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,626

$2,642 €2,270

103.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,040

$1,779 €1,528

33.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.3

-4.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Calella: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $917 in Calella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 33% 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 $58.0 in Calella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $283 per month, with Calella 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 Calella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Calella differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,641 including rent). Calella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $917 in Calella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $574 in Calella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Calella versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calella but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Calella 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 Calella 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 Calella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.