Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,397 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,993 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,589 in Cartagena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 68% more expensive than Cartagena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Cartagena 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$13.94 €11.91

26.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$57.5 €49.09

19.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$7.93 €6.77

73.39%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.57 €2.19

7.39%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.39 €2.04

16.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.95 €1.67

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.44 €2.94

34.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$3.45 €2.94

33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.14 €0.97

12.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.01 €0.86

108.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.76 €1.50

11.93%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.94 €2.51

17.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$11.54 €9.85

63.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$8.43 €7.20

12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$14.18 €12.11

34.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.27 €1.94

19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.80 €1.54

31.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.39 €1.18

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.75 €1.50

57.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.29 €1.10

52.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.05 €0.90

70.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.10 €0.94

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.56 €0.47

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$5.65 €4.82

19.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$6.19 €5.29

21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.15 €0.98

25.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.29 €1.10

86.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.41 €1.21

114.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$11.64 €9.94

143.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$3.48 €2.97

27.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.20 €1.02

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$24.92 €21.28

17.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.76 €1.51

7.39%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$30.9K €26.4K

25.29%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$31.9K €27.2K

1.56%

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

$189 €161

$143 €122

31.49%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$13.23 €11.30

67.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$30.14 €25.74

22.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$38.62 €32.98

50.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$15.09 €12.89

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$8.13 €6.94

35.92%

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

$726 €620

$433 €370

67.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,792 €2,384

445.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$44.05 €37.62

100.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$31.92 €27.26

15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$44.25 €37.79

131.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$77.1 €65.8

54.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$778 €664

96.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$616 €526

97.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$921 €787

203.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$771 €658

163.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$1,839 €1,571

285.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$1,467 €1,253

230.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$1,842 €1,573

30.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.44

-1.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $778 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 31% 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 Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $234 per month, with Cartagena 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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cartagena differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,397 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 31% 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 $778 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $433 in Cartagena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,397 in Cartagena versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena 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 Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.