Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Geleen

For one person, living costs are similar in Barcelona and in Geleen: $2,453 and $2,469 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Geleen
Learn more

Geleen Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Geleen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Geleen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,469 in Geleen.

Barcelona $2,453
Geleen $2,469

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,664 in Geleen.

Barcelona $3,509
Geleen $3,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,858 in Geleen.

Barcelona $4,564
Geleen $4,858

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Geleen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Geleen 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.80

$20.16 €18.11

-12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$94.7 €85.0

-28.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.15

$12.37 €11.11

9.38%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.87

$4.07 €3.66

-21.62%

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

$2.91 €2.62

$3.70 €3.32

-21.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$3.02 €2.71

-37.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$6.22 €5.59

-35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.07

$5.69 €5.11

-20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.28 €1.15

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.83 €1.64

10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.71 €2.44

-31.73%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$4.49 €4.03

7.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.03

$14.53 €13.05

15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.19

$13.76 €12.36

-33.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.64

$15.75 €14.14

24.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.57 €2.31

15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.48 €2.23

-18.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$1.91 €1.72

41.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$4.52 €4.06

-38.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.94 €1.74

7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.40 €2.15

-13.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.28 €1.15

14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.79 €0.71

18.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$13.83 €12.42

-50.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$6.84 €6.14

15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.44 €1.30

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.60 €2.34

-2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$3.99 €3.59

-21.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

$79.9 €71.8

-68.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.69

$3.41 €3.07

-12.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$3.24 €2.91

-54.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.98

$28.28 €25.41

18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$2.34 €2.10

-23.08%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$40.5K €36.4K

-18.12%

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

$31.7K €28.5K

$39.9K €35.9K

-20.63%

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

$180 €162

$263 €236

-31.35%

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

$13.84 €12.43

$16.91 €15.19

-18.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.27

$41.15 €36.96

-18.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.27

$41.48 €37.26

24.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

$20.30 €18.24

-21.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

$14.14 €12.70

-22.28%

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

$917 €823

$1,273 €1,144

-27.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$6,603 €5,931

149.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

$79.1 €71.1

9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.59

$37.39 €33.59

3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

$111 €99.9

-4.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

$128 €115

-6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

$1,444 €1,297

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,217

$1,158 €1,040

17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,338

$2,337 €2,099

11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,853

$1,877 €1,686

9.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,211

$5,513 €4,953

25.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,606

$3,918 €3,519

30.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

$4,395 €3,948

-49.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

4.02

-18.41%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Geleen: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Geleen

$1.2K 46.9% 14.6% $197

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Geleen

$329 13.3% 2.2% $7

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Geleen

$317 12.8% 18.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Geleen

$321 13% 40.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Geleen

$160 6.5% 1.2% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Geleen

$70 2.8% 5.1% $3.8

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Geleen

$116 4.7% 138% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,444 in Geleen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Geleen pays 99% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $95 in Geleen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $329 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇳🇱 Geleen

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

31,970

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Geleen 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Geleen

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 Geleen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 50% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,444 in Geleen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,273 in Geleen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 68% less than in Geleen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Geleen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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