Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cento Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cento

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,752 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,714 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,676 in Cento.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 35% more expensive than Cento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Cento 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$20.74 €17.86

-15.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$81.6 €70.3

-16.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.03 €9.49

27.47%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.09 €1.80

33.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.76 €2.38

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.42 €1.22

45.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.86 €5.04

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.69 €4.90

-18.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.59 €1.37

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.55 €2.19

-20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.78 €2.40

-30.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.40 €3.78

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$21.21 €18.26

-13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$13.37 €11.51

-29.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$17.65 €15.20

8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.34 €2.01

12.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.14 €1.84

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.02 €1.74

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.02 €2.60

-5.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.63 €1.40

25.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.42 €1.22

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.72 €1.48

-14.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 €0.46

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.00 €6.03

2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.30 €7.14

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.68 €1.44

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 €1.63

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.76 €1.52

69.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$43.14 €37.14

-32.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.88 €5.06

-21.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.46 €1.26

41.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$28.81 €24.81

1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.02 €1.74

-8.91%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.0K €22.4K

49.85%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$34.4K €29.6K

-4.94%

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

$188 €162

$183 €157

2.75%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$11.55 €9.95

98.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$30.69 €26.42

19.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$54.3 €46.70

5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$22.77 €19.60

-9.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.93 €9.41

2.38%

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

$721 €621

$654 €563

10.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,089 €6,964

85.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$90.9 €78.2

-5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$43.63 €37.56

-15.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$98.9 €85.1

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$170 €146

-31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$764 €657

100.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$569 €490

114.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,199 €1,033

124.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$910 €784

121.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,807 €2,416

157.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,891 €1,628

174.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,849 €1,592

27.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.17

-18.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cento: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $764 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 28% 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 $82.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $351 per month, with Barcelona 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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cento differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,752 including rent). Cento is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 28% 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 $764 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $654 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,752 in Cento versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cento 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 Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.