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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,565 in Gijon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,345 in Gijon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,125 in Gijon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than Gijon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Gijon 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.09 €14.72

2.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$51.3 €44.14

33.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$12.50 €10.77

12.48%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.19 €1.89

26.94%

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

$2.80 €2.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.25 €1.94

-8.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.27 €2.82

36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.56 €3.93

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.23 €1.06

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.89 €1.63

7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.36 €1.17

41.18%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.81 €2.42

17.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.32 €10.61

49.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.02 €6.90

18.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.09 €11.27

46.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.73 €2.35

-3.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.02 €1.74

21.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.29 €1.97

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.43 €2.95

-16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.60 €1.38

27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.46 €2.12

-24.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.10 €0.94

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.80 €0.69

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.31 €5.43

13.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.96 €6.85

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.18 €1.02

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.10 €1.80

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.43 €1.23

108.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$35.24 €30.34

-16.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.44 €4.69

-15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.31 €1.13

58.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$31.71 €27.31

-7.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.79 €1.54

2.79%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.1K €33.7K

-0.26%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

-10.96%

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

$188 €162

$140 €121

34.10%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$19.78 €17.03

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$28.18 €24.26

30.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$50.6 €43.58

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$10.36 €8.92

99.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.65 €8.31

15.96%

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

$721 €621

$504 €434

43.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$10.6K €9,091

42.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$90.7 €78.1

-4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$32.39 €27.89

14.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$92.7 €79.8

10.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$124 €107

-6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$788 €678

94.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$612 €527

99.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,330 €1,145

102.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$987 €850

103.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,581 €3,083

101.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,202 €1,896

135.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,902 €1,638

24.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.56

-4.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gijon: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $788 in Gijon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $51.0 in Gijon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $266 per month, with Gijon 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 Gijon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gijon differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,565 including rent). Gijon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 24% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $788 in Gijon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $504 in Gijon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,565 in Gijon versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 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 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.