Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chieti Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chieti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,771 in Chieti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,721 in Chieti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $3,671 in Chieti.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 35% more expensive than Chieti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Chieti 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$23.50 €20.23

-24.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$81.3 €70.0

-13.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$10.61 €9.13

28.75%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.62 €1.40

69.14%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.99 €2.58

-6.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.19 €1.03

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.33 €4.59

-18.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$5.26 €4.53

-12.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.64 €1.41

-21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.19 €1.88

-6.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.82 €2.42

-29.79%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.85 €3.31

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$15.59 €13.43

19.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$12.37 €10.65

-22.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.03 €16.39

-1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.71 €1.47

60.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.00 €1.72

23.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.63 €2.26

-20.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.14 €2.70

-10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.79 €1.54

12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.77 €1.52

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.86 €0.74

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$6.63 €5.71

6.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$6.62 €5.70

20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.45 €1.25

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.00 €1.72

14.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.78 €1.53

61.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$43.33 €37.31

-34.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$5.85 €5.04

-25.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.52 €1.31

40.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$34.71 €29.89

-16.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.19 €1.89

-15.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.7K €28.2K

19.04%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$32.8K €28.2K

-0.25%

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

$189 €163

$237 €204

-20.13%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$13.23 €11.39

71.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$37.58 €32.36

-2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$55.3 €47.61

4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$23.00 €19.81

-7.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$10.30 €8.87

4.95%

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

$726 €625

$549 €472

32.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$8,143 €7,012

85.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$88.1 €75.9

-0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$37.83 €32.57

-2.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$90.1 €77.6

14.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$128 €110

-8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$742 €639

111.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$585 €504

108.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,202 €1,035

125.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$915 €788

114.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,877 €2,478

171.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$2,146 €1,848

145.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,278 €1,101

85.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.45

-23.82%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Chieti: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $742 in Chieti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 86% 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 $81.0 in Chieti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $327 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 Chieti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chieti differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,771 including rent). Chieti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 86% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $742 in Chieti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $549 in Chieti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,771 in Chieti versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Chieti but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chieti 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 Chieti 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 Chieti 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.