Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ijmuiden Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ijmuiden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,550 in Ijmuiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,632 in Ijmuiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,715 in Ijmuiden.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 8% less than in Ijmuiden, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ijmuiden 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$19.83 €17.08

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$69.8 €60.1

-0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$12.93 €11.14

6.57%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.17 €3.59

-33.81%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$3.59 €3.10

-22.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.56 €2.21

-22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.51 €3.03

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$5.10 €4.39

-7.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.32 €1.13

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.43 €2.09

-15.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.21 €2.77

-38.01%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.68 €4.03

-27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$13.36 €11.51

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$15.54 €13.39

-39.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$16.74 €14.42

14.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.42 €2.08

11.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.59 €2.23

-9.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.99 €1.71

6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.90 €3.36

-26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.06 €1.77

-4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.97 €1.70

-8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.22 €1.05

18.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.81 €0.70

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$10.06 €8.67

-32.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.07 €6.09

11.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.53 €1.32

-9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.80 €2.41

-15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$3.62 €3.12

-19.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$93.2 €80.3

-69.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.38 €3.78

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.23 €1.92

-8.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$29.06 €25.04

1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.23 €1.92

-18.39%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$37.3K €32.2K

3.97%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$32.5K €28.0K

1.82%

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

$189 €163

$256 €220

-26.04%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$25.50 €21.97

-10.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$50.2 €43.29

-25.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$41.10 €35.41

40.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$23.12 €19.92

-10.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$15.12 €13.03

-28.44%

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

$728 €628

$1,593 €1,372

-54.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,088 €6,969

82.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$88.2 €76.0

0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$37.76 €32.54

-2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$120 €103

-14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$131 €113

-11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,410 €1,215

11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$1,160 €1,000

5.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$2,268 €1,954

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,766 €1,521

11.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,987 €4,297

55.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$4,394 €3,786

17.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$4,381 €3,775

-46.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ijmuiden: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,410 in Ijmuiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ijmuiden pays 87% 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 Ijmuiden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $344 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 Ijmuiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ijmuiden differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,550 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ijmuiden earns 87% less. 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,410 in Ijmuiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $1,593 in Ijmuiden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Ijmuiden. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,550 in Ijmuiden, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Ijmuiden. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Ijmuiden 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Ijmuiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.