Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and David

For one person, living is cheaper in David: $883 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

David

🇵🇦 Panama

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in David

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 David actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $883 in David.

Barcelona $2,453
David $883

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $949 in David.

Barcelona $3,509
David $949

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,014 in David.

Barcelona $4,564
David $1,014

Living in Barcelona is roughly 178% more expensive than in David, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, David is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$5.65 PAB 5.65

211.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$37.37 PAB 37.37

80.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$7.11 PAB 7.11

90.30%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$3.28 PAB 3.28

-2.74%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$1.53 PAB 1.53

90.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.48 PAB 1.48

27.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$2.05 PAB 2.05

95.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$2.68 PAB 2.68

69.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.77 PAB 1.77

-25.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.14 PAB 2.14

-5.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-24.18%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$2.39 PAB 2.39

102.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-24.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$9.86 PAB 9.86

-19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$0.72 PAB 0.72

336.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$3.01 PAB 3.01

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$2.04 PAB 2.04

-26.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.07 PAB 1.07

68.22%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

35.11%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$30.0K PAB 30.0K

5.66%

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

$180 €162

$185 PAB 185

-2.72%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$28.76 PAB 28.76

-51.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$30.61 PAB 30.61

68.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

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

$917 €821

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$5,960 PAB 5,960

176.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$347 PAB 347

389.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$354 PAB 354

283.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$598 PAB 598

269.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

-53.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for David: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

David

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

David

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

David

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

David

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

David

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

David

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

David

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $347 in David. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $37 in David for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $86 per month, with David cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇵🇦 David

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

00:19 12:19 AM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

82,907

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona David 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
David

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 David: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $883 in David, so David is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Barcelona is about 3.7 times higher, 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $347 in David. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in David – a meal for two runs $37 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $883 in David – David is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $883 in David versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in David but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes David 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 David are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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