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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,075 in Castro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,630 in Castro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,184 in Castro.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 116% more expensive than in Castro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Castro is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.77 CLP 8,183

101.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$44.44 CLP 41.5K

56.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.03 CLP 7,500

76.34%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.84 CLP 2,655

-1.41%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.30 CLP 1,215

116.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.06 CLP 992

94.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.16 CLP 2,952

45.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.14 CLP 3,864

13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.13 CLP 1,053

8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.48 CLP 1,379

37.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.38 CLP 1,284

43.48%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.44 CLP 4,142

-21.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.17 CLP 9,493

80.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.33 CLP 4,042

127.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.89 CLP 8,296

115.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.43 CLP 1,339

90.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.33 CLP 2,173

2.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.58 CLP 1,475

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.10 CLP 1,958

30.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.23 CLP 1,148

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.36 CLP 1,267

31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.21 CLP 1,132

22.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.22 CLP 1,138

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.28 CLP 4,933

35.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.92 CLP 7,390

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.55 CLP 1,442

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.21 CLP 2,060

8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.75 CLP 702

301.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.48 CLP 448

808.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.36 CLP 1,272

33.82%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$19.6K CLP 18.3M

93.32%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$21.7K CLP 20.2M

49.44%

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

$189 €166

$129 CLP 120.8K

46.12%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.38 CLP 12.5K

66.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$21.73 CLP 20.3K

71.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$39.23 CLP 36.6K

47.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.09 CLP 19.7K

-2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.49 CLP 5,129

98.00%

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

$706 €618

$433 CLP 404.5K

62.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$51.1 CLP 47.7K

74.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.65 CLP 28.6K

19.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$61.7 CLP 57.6K

68.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$82.8 CLP 77.3K

44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$474 CLP 442.3K

233.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$369 CLP 344.3K

235.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$882 CLP 823.5K

207.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$623 CLP 581.9K

227.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$636 CLP 594.0K

271.53%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Castro: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $474 in Castro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 272% 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 $44.00 in Castro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $220 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,075 including rent). Castro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 272% 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 $474 in Castro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $433 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 $44.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,075 in Castro versus $2,320 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 116% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.