Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Frascati Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Frascati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,662 in Frascati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,544 in Frascati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,426 in Frascati.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 40% more expensive than in Frascati, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Frascati 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$17.29 €15.15

2.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$74.8 €65.5

-6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$11.45 €10.03

23.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.76 €1.54

59.09%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.45 €2.14

14.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.22 €1.07

68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$5.96 €5.22

-22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.00 €6.13

-33.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.70 €1.49

-27.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.08 €1.82

-2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.98 €2.61

-33.56%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.19 €3.67

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$17.57 €15.39

4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.30 €9.90

-13.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$20.44 €17.90

-6.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.42 €2.12

12.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.26 €1.98

5.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.35 €2.05

-11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.62 €2.29

4.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.77 €1.55

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.80 €1.58

-0.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.31 €1.15

12.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.52 €0.46

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.14 €6.25

-0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.11 €7.11

-2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.86 €1.63

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.63 €2.31

-9.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.76 €1.54

71.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$29.09 €25.48

0.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.89 €5.16

-25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.57 €1.38

35.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$35.00 €30.66

-15.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.07 €1.81

-12.08%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$28.5K €25.0K

32.87%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.1K €25.5K

11.33%

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

$189 €166

$205 €179

-7.74%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$11.08 €9.70

101.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$30.41 €26.63

22.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$49.54 €43.38

17.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$17.22 €15.08

19.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.59 €10.15

-6.21%

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

$706 €618

$542 €475

30.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.5K €9,195

41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$80.7 €70.7

10.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$35.39 €31.00

3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$86.1 €75.4

20.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$146 €128

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$761 €667

107.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$573 €502

116.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,210 €1,059

124.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$912 €799

123.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,906 €2,545

159.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,027 €1,775

158.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,399 €2,101

-1.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.95

-14.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Frascati: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $761 in Frascati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frascati pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $75.0 in Frascati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $336 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 Frascati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Frascati differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,662 including rent). Frascati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Frascati. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $761 in Frascati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $542 in Frascati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,662 in Frascati versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Frascati but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Frascati 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 Frascati 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 Frascati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.