Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fuenlabrada Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fuenlabrada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,764 in Fuenlabrada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,553 in Fuenlabrada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,343 in Fuenlabrada.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than in Fuenlabrada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Fuenlabrada 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$17.58 €15.38

0.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$70.1 €61.4

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$10.28 €8.99

37.74%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.48 €2.17

12.90%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.07 €2.68

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.13 €1.86

-3.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.38 €2.96

36.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$4.54 €3.98

3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.14 €1.00

7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.11 €0.97

82.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.73 €1.51

14.45%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.69 €2.35

29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$14.75 €12.91

24.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$9.14 €8.00

7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$16.69 €14.60

14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.80 €2.45

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.15 €1.88

10.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.99 €1.74

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.67 €2.34

3.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.89 €1.65

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.03 €1.78

-11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.35 €1.18

9.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.68 €0.60

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.97 €6.10

2.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.04 €7.03

-1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.20 €1.05

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.24 €1.96

6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.52 €1.33

98.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$34.51 €30.19

-14.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.51 €3.95

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.02 €0.90

108.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$23.70 €20.73

24.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.93 €1.69

-5.70%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$38.3K €33.5K

-1.08%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$34.2K €30.0K

-5.46%

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

$189 €165

$191 €167

-1.00%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$21.45 €18.77

3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$34.14 €29.87

8.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$47.22 €41.32

22.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$15.12 €13.23

36.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$11.79 €10.31

-7.80%

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

$706 €618

$265 €232

166.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.9K €10.4K

24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$94.2 €82.4

-5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$36.80 €32.20

-0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$93.1 €81.4

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$93.0 €81.4

28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$845 €739

86.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$684 €598

81.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,304 €1,141

108.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,021 €893

99.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,703 €1,490

38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.38

0.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fuenlabrada: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $845 in Fuenlabrada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 39% 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 $70.0 in Fuenlabrada. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $278, with Fuenlabrada 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 Fuenlabrada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fuenlabrada differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,764 including rent). Fuenlabrada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $845 in Fuenlabrada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $265 in Fuenlabrada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,764 in Fuenlabrada versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fuenlabrada but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fuenlabrada 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 Fuenlabrada 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 Fuenlabrada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.