Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chaves Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chaves

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,580 in Chaves.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $2,240 in Chaves.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,901 in Chaves.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 47% more expensive than in Chaves, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Chaves 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$7.99 €7.00

115.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$23.21 €20.33

204.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$7.96 €6.97

76.13%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$1.71 €1.49

62.57%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.72 €1.50

61.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.56 €0.49

266.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$2.26 €1.98

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$3.55 €3.11

31.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.09 €0.95

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.71 €1.50

25.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.92 €1.68

0.52%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.10 €2.71

12.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$11.37 €9.96

62.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$8.04 €7.04

18.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$14.29 €12.52

32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.50 €2.19

4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.52 €1.33

53.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.98 €1.73

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.99 €2.62

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.36 €1.19

44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.88 €1.65

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.66 €1.45

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.95 €0.83

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$6.06 €5.31

11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$3.88 €3.40

100.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.15 €1.01

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.59 €2.27

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.32 €2.04

29.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$42.47 €37.21

-32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$3.97 €3.47

15.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.24 €1.09

71.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$14.22 €12.46

107.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.91 €1.67

-5.76%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$38.2K €33.5K

0.62%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$38.8K €34.0K

-14.35%

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

$185 €162

$133 €116

39.10%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$21.68 €18.99

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$42.80 €37.50

-14.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$44.31 €38.82

30.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$5.90 €5.17

259.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$6.99 €6.12

54.94%

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

$727 €637

$351 €308

106.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$8,181 €7,168

80.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$74.9 €65.6

16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$22.71 €19.90

64.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$70.7 €61.9

46.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$80.5 €70.5

47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$929 €814

67.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$743 €651

64.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$1,500 €1,314

82.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$1,141 €1,000

74.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,926 €1,687

288.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$1,472 €1,290

253.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$1,034 €906

127.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.43

-37.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Chaves: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $929 in Chaves. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 128% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Chaves for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $254 per month, with Chaves 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 Chaves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chaves differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,580 including rent). Chaves is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 128% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $929 in Chaves. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $351 in Chaves. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,580 in Chaves versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaves but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chaves 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 Chaves 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 Chaves gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.