Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Castro Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Castro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,078 in Castro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,662 in Castro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,246 in Castro.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than Castro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Castro is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$8.44 CLP 7,487

108.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$45.13 CLP 40.1K

51.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.22 CLP 7,293

71.05%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.80 CLP 2,485

-0.71%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.36 CLP 1,211

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.06 CLP 938

94.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.32 CLP 2,942

34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.19 CLP 3,719

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.09 CLP 971

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.51 CLP 1,343

34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.38 CLP 1,227

39.13%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.32 CLP 3,832

-23.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.05 CLP 8,918

83.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.33 CLP 3,846

119.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$8.78 CLP 7,791

118.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.48 CLP 1,316

78.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.43 CLP 2,157

0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.59 CLP 1,408

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.11 CLP 1,873

35.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.20 CLP 1,064

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.42 CLP 1,258

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.28 CLP 1,133

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.23 CLP 1,094

-31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.37 CLP 4,764

32.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.45 CLP 7,497

-6.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.54 CLP 1,365

-10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.23 CLP 1,979

3.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.76 CLP 676

292.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.48 CLP 422

858.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.38 CLP 1,221

33.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.3K CLP 17.1M

102.23%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.0K CLP 18.7M

55.52%

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

$188 €162

$131 CLP 116.4K

43.24%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.36 CLP 11.9K

71.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$22.24 CLP 19.7K

65.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$38.17 CLP 33.9K

50.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$21.55 CLP 19.1K

-3.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.77 CLP 5,121

93.93%

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

$721 €620

$443 CLP 392.9K

62.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.6 CLP 45.8K

67.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$30.17 CLP 26.8K

22.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$62.4 CLP 55.4K

63.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$82.2 CLP 73.0K

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$474 CLP 420.8K

223.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$366 CLP 324.7K

233.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$885 CLP 785.2K

204.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$630 CLP 559.0K

219.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$685 CLP 607.9K

244.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.18

-34.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Castro: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $474 in Castro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 244% 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 $45.00 in Castro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $221 per month, with Castro 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 Castro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Castro differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,078 including rent). Castro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 244% 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 $474 in Castro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $443 in Castro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Castro – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Castro versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castro but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Castro 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 Castro 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 Castro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.