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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,078 in George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,760 in George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,441 in George.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than George, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, George is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$11.17 R 187

57.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$37.91 R 636

81.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.12 R 85.8

168.55%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.93 R 32.44

43.01%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.52 R 25.52

82.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.21 R 20.29

69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.53 R 42.50

82.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.97 R 49.75

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.10 R 18.48

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.10 R 18.51

91.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.60 R 26.82

23.12%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.99 R 50.1

15.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.74 R 163

93.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.71 R 78.9

100.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.71 R 129

146.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.76 R 29.55

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.62 R 27.18

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.43 R 24.00

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.55 R 25.97

78.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.57 R 26.30

25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.77 R 29.71

1.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.28 R 21.46

17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.94 R 15.83

-4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.12 R 52.4

116.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$4.71 R 79.0

60.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.21 R 20.28

19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.61 R 26.94

49.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.77 R 12.90

293.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$25.75 R 432

10.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.14 R 19.06

288.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.88 R 14.83

132.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$4.07 R 68.3

620.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.17 R 19.69

61.54%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.9K R 350.9K

85.16%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$20.5K R 344.5K

57.55%

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

$189 €161

$129 R 2,161

46.32%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$15.95 R 268

39.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$52.4 R 878

-29.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$27.18 R 456

113.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$11.30 R 190

85.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.73 R 96.1

92.84%

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

$726 €622

$125 R 2,097

480.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,785 R 80.3K

218.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$72.5 R 1,216

21.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$31.91 R 535

15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$98.3 R 1,649

4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$88.3 R 1,480

35.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$390 R 6,537

291.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$332 R 5,564

267.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$721 R 12.1K

287.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$784 R 13.2K

158.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$720 R 12.1K

884.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$542 R 9,093

794.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,327 R 22.3K

81.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.88

-68.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for George: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $390 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $192 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,078 including rent). George is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 81% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $390 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $125 in George. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in George versus $2,341 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.