Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Groningen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Groningen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,288 in Groningen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,495 in Groningen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,702 in Groningen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 9% more expensive than in Groningen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Groningen 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$21.20 €18.23

-13.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$99.7 €85.7

-30.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$16.22 €13.95

-12.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$4.58 €3.94

-31.66%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.90 €3.36

-22.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.30 €2.84

-40.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.93 €5.10

-32.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$5.68 €4.88

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.49 €1.28

-16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.73 €2.35

-20.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.85 €2.45

-40.70%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.69 €4.03

5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$13.70 €11.78

30.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$13.50 €11.61

-28.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$22.24 €19.12

-13.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.10 €2.66

4.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.53 €2.18

-13.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.66 €2.28

0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$5.03 €4.32

-44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.29 €1.97

-3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.62 €1.39

35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.32 €1.13

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.27 €1.09

-27.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$15.05 €12.94

-52.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$6.86 €5.90

18.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.44 €1.24

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.53 €2.17

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$4.27 €3.67

-26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$69.3 €59.6

-61.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$6.84 €5.88

-52.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.85 €2.45

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$29.82 €25.63

17.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.57 €2.21

-31.91%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$43.5K €37.4K

-15.80%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$40.3K €34.6K

-23.18%

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

$188 €161

$234 €201

-19.65%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$21.65 €18.61

-28.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$51.1 €43.92

-26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$40.27 €34.62

41.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$15.72 €13.52

6.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$17.56 €15.09

-34.05%

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

$1,003 €862

$1,818 €1,563

-44.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$7,840 €6,740

117.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$102 €87.4

-12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$46.18 €39.70

-11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$109 €93.8

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$144 €124

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$1,368 €1,176

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$917 €789

45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,958 €1,684

32.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,448 €1,245

34.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$5,591 €4,807

35.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$4,027 €3,462

33.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$3,132 €2,692

-23.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.62

-12.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Groningen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,368 in Groningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $100 in Groningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $371 per month, with Barcelona 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 Groningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Groningen differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,288 including rent). Groningen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Groningen. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,368 in Groningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $1,818 in Groningen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Groningen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Groningen 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 Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.