Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and George Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and George

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,459 in Barcelona versus $1,126 in George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,452 in Barcelona versus $1,847 in George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,445 in Barcelona versus $2,567 in George.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in George, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, George is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 €16.16

$10.87 R 178

71.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €57.5

$42.67 R 698

55.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.07

$4.88 R 79.7

185.25%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.67

$2.16 R 35.33

42.59%

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

$2.91 €2.53

$1.03 R 16.81

182.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$0.77 R 12.60

141.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.56

$2.66 R 43.47

54.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.95

$3.24 R 53.0

40.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.18 R 19.27

5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.04 R 17.04

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.45 R 23.78

24.83%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.28

$2.79 R 45.62

76.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 €14.14

$8.58 R 140

89.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.19

$5.46 R 89.3

72.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.59

$6.53 R 107

192.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.80

$1.68 R 27.54

92.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.46 R 23.95

54.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.22

$1.50 R 24.49

70.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.41

$1.69 R 27.61

63.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.66 R 27.14

26.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.38 R 22.62

63.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.26 R 20.55

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$1.04 R 16.96

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.14

$3.18 R 52.0

122.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.96

$4.91 R 80.3

63.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.29 R 21.04

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.22

$1.73 R 28.28

47.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.68

$1.44 R 23.59

114.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 €23.17

$27.78 R 454

-3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.92

$0.59 R 9.69

471.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.47 R 7.66

285.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €29.54

$8.40 R 137

305.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.23 R 20.15

37.40%

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

$35.6K €30.9K

$30.7K R 501.5K

15.98%

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

$30.4K €26.4K

$29.7K R 485.1K

2.40%

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

$181 €157

$124 R 2,027

46.02%

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

$15.80 €13.71

$17.62 R 288

-10.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 €31.77

$46.04 R 753

-20.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 €47.19

$29.74 R 486

82.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 €14.33

$12.28 R 201

34.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.85

$5.91 R 96.5

92.22%

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

$946 €820

$135 R 2,199

602.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.0K

$5,204 R 85.1K

209.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 €73.1

$71.5 R 1,169

17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.05

$40.50 R 662

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.8

$110 R 1,805

-3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$84.3 R 1,377

46.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 €1,469

$421 R 6,888

301.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,136

$365 R 5,967

258.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 €2,321

$771 R 12.6K

246.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 €1,614

$950 R 15.5K

95.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 €6,492

$871 R 14.2K

759.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,263 €4,565

$637 R 10.4K

726.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,083

$1,330 R 21.7K

80.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

10.92

-71.43%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 3, 2026

Last update for George: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Barcelona and $421 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 81% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $188 per month, with George 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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and George differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,459 vs $1,126 including rent). George is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,694 in Barcelona versus $421 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $946 in Barcelona versus $135 in George. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,126 in George versus $2,459 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes George 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 George 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 George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.