Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Castelldefels Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Castelldefels

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,909 in Castelldefels.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,799 in Castelldefels.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,689 in Castelldefels.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 24% more expensive than Castelldefels, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Castelldefels 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$17.20 €14.80

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.6 €59.9

-1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$12.75 €10.97

10.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.68 €2.30

3.73%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.52 €2.17

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.04 €1.76

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.57 €3.07

24.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.50 €3.01

31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.14 €0.98

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.29 €1.11

57.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.69 €1.45

13.61%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.81 €2.42

17.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.25 €9.68

63.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.43 €7.25

12.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.13 €12.16

35.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.56 €2.21

3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.86 €1.60

31.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.05 €1.76

3.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.36 €2.03

20.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.86 €1.60

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.84 €1.58

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.76 €0.66

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.70 €5.77

6.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.67 €4.88

38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.41 €1.21

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.02 €1.73

14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.89 €1.62

57.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$33.66 €28.96

-13.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.57 €3.07

28.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.13 €1.83

-2.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$25.05 €21.55

16.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.82 €1.57

1.10%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.3K €29.5K

13.81%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$32.1K €27.6K

1.94%

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

$188 €162

$190 €163

-0.96%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$22.48 €19.33

2.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$36.38 €31.30

0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$47.35 €40.73

21.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.13 €13.02

36.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.92 €9.40

2.47%

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

$721 €620

$637 €548

13.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$12.6K €10.8K

19.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$87.4 €75.2

-1.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$36.67 €31.54

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$97.8 €84.1

4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$117 €100

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,058 €910

44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$926 €796

31.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,891 €1,627

42.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,386 €1,192

45.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,502 €3,012

106.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,311 €1,988

124.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$4,561 €3,923

-48.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Castelldefels: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,058 in Castelldefels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelldefels pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Castelldefels. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $251, with Castelldefels cheaper for home cooking.

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 Castelldefels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Castelldefels differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,909 including rent). Castelldefels is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Castelldefels earns 93% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,058 in Castelldefels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $637 in Castelldefels. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,909 in Castelldefels versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Castelldefels but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Castelldefels 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 Castelldefels 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 Castelldefels gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.