Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Isernia

For one person, living is cheaper in Isernia: $1,638 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Isernia, Italy
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Isernia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,638
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Isernia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Isernia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,638 in Isernia.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Isernia $1,638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,441 in Isernia.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Isernia $2,441

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,245 in Isernia.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Isernia $3,245

Living in Barcelona is roughly 49% more expensive than in Isernia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Isernia 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.69
$16.59 €14.74
6.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €59.9
$53.9 €47.88
25.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.09
$7.99 €7.10
70.34%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.75
$1.37 €1.22
126.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$2.23 €1.98
34.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.14 €1.01
69.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.41
$3.81 €3.38
0.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.87
$3.44 €3.06
26.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.52 €1.35
-17.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.81 €1.61
17.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.77 €2.46
-28.88%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.23
$2.67 €2.37
78.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.16
$15.08 €13.40
13.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.96
$11.39 €10.11
-21.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.34
$16.70 €14.84
23.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$2.31 €2.05
36.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.03 €1.80
-2.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.06 €1.83
28.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.56
$2.21 €1.96
30.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.66 €1.48
24.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.54 €1.37
41.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.14 €1.02
34.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.41 €0.37
136.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.19
$6.77 €6.02
2.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.01
$7.44 €6.61
6.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.88 €1.67
-24.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.30 €2.04
16.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$1.63 €1.45
103.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.75
$42.04 €37.34
-39.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$5.48 €4.86
-43.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.21 €1.97
-33.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.20
$23.27 €20.67
41.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.09 €1.86
-10.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$36.0K €32.0K
-8.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$37.5K €33.3K
-14.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €162
$208 €184
-11.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.65
$11.62 €10.32
22.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.70
$30.14 €26.78
14.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.68
$54.9 €48.73
-6.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.55
$24.02 €21.33
-31.81%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.83
$8.15 €7.24
35.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €838
$757 €672
24.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$5,604 €4,978
297.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €77.9
$83.5 €74.2
4.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.44
$46.46 €41.27
-16.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €92.9
$107 €95.0
-2.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$140 €124
-15.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,507
$729 €648
132.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,187
$573 €509
133.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,391
$1,164 €1,034
131.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,845
$904 €803
129.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,356
$2,923 €2,597
144.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,512
$2,029 €1,803
150.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Isernia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,991
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
3.92
-18.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Isernia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Isernia
$573 57.1% $763
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Isernia
$297 9.4% $31
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Isernia
$213 20.4% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Isernia
$249 7.7% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Isernia
$170 8.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Isernia
$71 3.2% $2.4
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Isernia
$65 32% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $729 in Isernia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $54 in Isernia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $297 per month, with Isernia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇮🇹 Isernia
🕒 Local time
22:08 10:08 PM
22:08 10:08 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
20,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Isernia 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Isernia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Isernia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Isernia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,638 in Isernia, so Isernia is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Isernia?
You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $2,457 in Isernia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Isernia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $729 in Isernia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Isernia?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $757 in Isernia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Isernia?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Isernia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Isernia?
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.
Is Barcelona or Isernia safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Isernia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?