Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gijon Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gijon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,810 in Gijon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,689 in Gijon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,568 in Gijon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 38% more expensive than in Gijon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Gijon 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$17.37 €14.93

5.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$69.8 €60.0

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$16.41 €14.11

-13.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.59 €2.22

20.85%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.88 €2.47

4.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.42 €2.08

-19.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.10 €3.53

-2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$6.13 €5.27

-22.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.19 €1.02

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.86 €1.60

16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.35 €1.16

25.19%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.39 €3.77

12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$12.30 €10.57

45.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$8.17 €7.03

17.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$13.90 €11.95

39.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.85 €3.31

-15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.74 €1.49

25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.12 €1.82

25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.97 €3.41

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.58 €1.36

39.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.45 €2.11

-10.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.33 €1.15

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.69 €0.59

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$6.70 €5.76

6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$10.35 €8.90

-21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.37 €1.17

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.11 €1.82

31.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.47 €1.26

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$35.06 €30.14

-23.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$5.55 €4.77

-41.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.38 €1.18

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$33.86 €29.11

3.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.79 €1.54

-2.23%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$39.2K €33.7K

-6.59%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$30.6K €26.3K

1.25%

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

$188 €161

$149 €128

26.08%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$18.73 €16.10

-17.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$25.88 €22.25

46.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$53.0 €45.53

7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$9.73 €8.36

72.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$9.22 €7.93

25.60%

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

$1,003 €862

$509 €438

96.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$10.6K €9,124

60.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$101 €86.7

-11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$32.46 €27.90

25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$106 €90.9

4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$124 €107

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$928 €798

80.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$757 €651

75.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,487 €1,278

74.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,088 €935

79.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$3,877 €3,333

95.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,252 €1,936

138.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,915 €1,647

25.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.43

-7.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gijon: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $928 in Gijon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 25% 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 $70.0 in Gijon. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $286, with Gijon 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 Gijon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gijon differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,810 including rent). Gijon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $928 in Gijon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $509 in Gijon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,810 in Gijon versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gijon but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gijon 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 Gijon 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 Gijon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.