Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Castello de la Plana Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Castello de la Plana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,482 in Castello de la Plana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,158 in Castello de la Plana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,833 in Castello de la Plana.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than in Castello de la Plana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Castello de la Plana 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$15.28 €13.37

15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$58.6 €51.3

18.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$8.24 €7.21

71.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.53 €2.21

10.67%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.25 €1.97

24.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.72 €1.51

19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.92 €2.56

57.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.54 €3.09

32.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.13 €0.99

8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.10 €1.84

-3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.01 €1.75

-1.49%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.11 €2.72

12.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$14.77 €12.92

24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$8.43 €7.38

16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$15.84 €13.86

20.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.48 €2.17

10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.73 €1.51

37.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.63 €1.43

27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.47 €2.16

11.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.88 €1.65

4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.81 €1.58

-1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.47 €1.29

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.64 €0.56

42.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.93 €6.06

2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$4.63 €4.05

70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.06 €0.92

30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.38 €2.08

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.41 €1.23

113.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$17.44 €15.26

68.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.50 €3.93

-3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.00 €0.87

113.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$15.28 €13.37

93.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.81 €1.58

0.55%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$38.8K €34.0K

-2.38%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$33.0K €28.9K

-1.88%

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

$189 €165

$135 €118

40.43%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$19.26 €16.85

15.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$27.92 €24.43

33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$46.09 €40.33

25.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$14.95 €13.08

38.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$8.02 €7.02

35.54%

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

$706 €618

$577 €505

22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,175 €7,152

81.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$66.7 €58.4

34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$22.06 €19.30

65.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$105 €91.8

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$116 €101

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$737 €645

114.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$616 €539

100.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,012 €885

167.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$786 €688

159.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,831 €1,602

311.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,424 €1,246

267.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,829 €1,600

29.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.2

5.94%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Castello de la Plana: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $737 in Castello de la Plana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 29% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in Castello de la Plana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $271 per month, with Castello de la Plana 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 Castello de la Plana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Castello de la Plana differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,482 including rent). Castello de la Plana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $737 in Castello de la Plana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $577 in Castello de la Plana. 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 $1,482 in Castello de la Plana versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Castello de la Plana but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Castello de la Plana 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 Castello de la Plana 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 Castello de la Plana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.