Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Delft

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,862 in Delft, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Delft, Netherlands
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Delft
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,862
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Delft

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,862 in Delft.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Delft $2,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $4,214 in Delft.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Delft $4,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $5,566 in Delft.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Delft $5,566

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 14% less than in Delft, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Delft 110% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$22.62 €20.26
-22.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$96.2 €86.1
-29.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$13.36 €11.96
1.27%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$4.19 €3.75
-23.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$3.70 €3.32
-21.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$3.02 €2.70
-37.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$6.21 €5.56
-35.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$5.72 €5.12
-20.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.31 €1.18
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.85 €1.66
9.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.85 €2.55
-35.09%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$4.92 €4.41
-1.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$16.01 €14.34
4.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$15.85 €14.20
-42.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$17.46 €15.64
12.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.79 €2.50
6.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.50 €2.24
-19.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.86 €1.66
45.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$4.54 €4.07
-38.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.94 €1.74
7.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.28 €2.04
-9.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.22 €1.09
19.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.77 €0.69
22.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$14.22 €12.74
-51.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$6.88 €6.16
14.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.46 €1.31
-3.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.65 €2.37
-4.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$4.56 €4.08
-31.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
$74.7 €66.9
-65.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$3.28 €2.94
-8.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$3.44 €3.08
-56.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$50.4 €45.10
-33.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$2.41 €2.16
-25.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$40.8K €36.6K
-18.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$39.8K €35.7K
-20.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$271 €243
-33.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$29.50 €26.42
-53.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$42.00 €37.61
-19.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$39.16 €35.07
31.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$8.51 €7.62
87.54%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$13.98 €12.52
-21.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$2,844 €2,547
-67.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$6,613 €5,923
149.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$77.6 €69.5
12.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$42.24 €37.83
-8.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$92.4 €82.8
14.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$147 €132
-18.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$1,876 €1,680
-9.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$1,485 €1,330
-8.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$3,078 €2,756
-15.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$2,449 €2,193
-15.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$6,815 €6,104
1.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$4,729 €4,235
8.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Delft
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$3,553 €3,182
-37.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.89
-15.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Delft: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Delft
$1.5K 9.5% $129
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Delft
$352 9.5% $31
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Delft
$341 27.2% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Delft
$343 50.3% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Delft
$162 2.3% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Delft
$67 8.7% $6.4
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Delft
$113 134% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,876 in Delft. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Delft pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $96 in Delft for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $352 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇳🇱 Delft
🕒 Local time
13:19 1:19 PM
13:19 1:19 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
106,086
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Delft 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Delft

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 Delft: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Delft?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,862 in Delft, so Barcelona is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Delft?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,876 in Delft. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Delft?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $2,844 in Delft. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Delft. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Delft?
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.
Is Barcelona or Delft safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Delft are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Delft?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Delft. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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