Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ferrara Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ferrara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,673 in Ferrara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,506 in Ferrara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,339 in Ferrara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 41% more expensive than in Ferrara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Ferrara 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$18.75 €16.23

-8.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$69.7 €60.4

-2.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$11.50 €9.96

18.61%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.99 €1.73

39.70%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.61 €2.26

8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.24 €1.07

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$5.73 €4.96

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.65 €4.02

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.45 €1.25

-12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.59 €2.25

-17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.73 €2.36

-27.11%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.28 €3.70

-21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$14.28 €12.36

32.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$10.86 €9.40

-12.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$19.76 €17.11

-5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.85 €1.60

43.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.79 €1.55

31.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.26 €2.83

-35.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.44 €2.98

-20.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.68 €1.45

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.71 €1.48

5.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.53 €1.32

-1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.34 €0.29

161.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.39 €5.54

6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.64 €4.02

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.55 €1.34

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.65 €1.43

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.70 €1.47

71.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$35.43 €30.68

-19.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$7.95 €6.88

-42.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.85 €1.60

10.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$34.55 €29.92

-16.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.99 €1.72

-8.54%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$37.2K €32.2K

5.79%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$41.3K €35.8K

-21.36%

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

$187 €162

$190 €165

-1.97%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$12.84 €11.12

73.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$31.04 €26.88

17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$34.77 €30.11

65.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.59 €14.37

25.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$9.28 €8.03

16.06%

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

$725 €628

$352 €305

105.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,658 €5,766

127.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$81.1 €70.3

8.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$40.56 €35.12

-9.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$105 €91.2

-1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$92.8 €80.3

27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$635 €550

139.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$578 €500

112.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,319 €1,142

106.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$935 €810

112.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,309 €2,000

223.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,819 €1,575

188.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,654 €1,432

44.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.44

-23.65%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ferrara: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $635 in Ferrara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 45% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Ferrara. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $314, with Ferrara cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ferrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ferrara differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,673 including rent). Ferrara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $635 in Ferrara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $352 in Ferrara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,673 in Ferrara versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ferrara but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ferrara 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 Ferrara 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 Ferrara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.