Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cesis

For one person, living is cheaper in Cesis: $1,112 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Cesis
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Cesis Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Cesis

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Cesis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Cesis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,112 in Cesis.

Barcelona $2,453
Cesis $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,837 in Cesis.

Barcelona $3,509
Cesis $1,837

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,562 in Cesis.

Barcelona $4,564
Cesis $2,562

Living in Barcelona is roughly 121% more expensive than in Cesis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Cesis is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.69

$16.57 €14.78

6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.2

$67.1 €59.9

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.07

$9.43 €8.42

43.48%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.85

$3.80 €3.39

-16.05%

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

$2.91 €2.60

$1.64 €1.46

77.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.20 €1.07

57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.58

$5.47 €4.88

-26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.04

$5.05 €4.50

-10.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.20 €1.07

9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.47 €1.31

37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.46 €2.19

-24.80%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.31

$2.65 €2.36

82.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.93

$10.59 €9.45

58.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.14

$8.50 €7.59

7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.52

$13.58 €12.12

44.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$2.06 €1.84

44.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.82 €1.62

10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$2.45 €2.19

10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$2.92 €2.61

-4.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.88 €0.79

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.87 €0.78

137.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.66 €1.48

-12.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.93 €0.83

1.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.13

$6.78 €6.05

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.04

$7.64 €6.82

3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.71 €1.52

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.08 €1.85

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.70

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.67

$3.43 €3.06

-12.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.03 €0.92

44.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.78

$17.42 €15.54

91.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.11 €1.89

-14.69%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$26.9K €24.0K

23.54%

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

$31.7K €28.3K

$30.1K €26.9K

5.16%

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

$180 €161

$376 €335

-51.99%

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

$13.84 €12.35

$19.15 €17.09

-27.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.06

$20.14 €17.97

67.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €45.96

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.81

$10.91 €9.73

0.73%

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

$917 €818

$711 €634

28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$17.8K €15.8K

-7.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.7

$69.5 €62.0

25.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.35

$49.82 €44.45

-22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.4

$85.0 €75.8

24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$136 €121

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,516

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,209

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,322

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,840

$277 €247

645.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,169

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,575

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,972

$1,106 €987

99.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

4.77

-31.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cesis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Cesis

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Cesis

$258 23.2% 19.8% $64

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Cesis

$255 23% 4.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Cesis

$415 37.3% 82.1% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Cesis

$153 13.8% 3.2% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Cesis

$22 * 2% 70.3% $52

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Cesis

$8.6 * 0.8% 82.3% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 100% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $67 in Cesis. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $258, with Cesis cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇱🇻 Cesis

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

17,673

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Cesis 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Cesis

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cesis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,112 in Cesis, so Cesis is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $711 in Cesis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $1,112 in Cesis – Cesis is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,112 in Cesis versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis 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 Cesis are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cesis wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.