Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Isernia Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Isernia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,626 in Isernia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,389 in Isernia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,151 in Isernia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 45% more expensive than Isernia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Isernia 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$17.16 €14.60

2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$55.7 €47.44

22.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$8.19 €6.97

70.45%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$1.40 €1.19

97.14%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.32 €1.98

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.17 €1.00

68.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.91 €5.03

-23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$4.74 €4.03

-4.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.39 €1.18

-10.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.02 €1.72

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.66 €2.27

-28.20%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$2.71 €2.31

25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$14.96 €12.73

22.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$12.64 €10.76

-25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$17.74 €15.10

6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$1.54 €1.31

70.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.92 €1.63

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.86 €1.58

13.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$2.23 €1.90

21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.48 €1.26

38.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.86 €1.58

-4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.61 €1.37

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.44 €0.37

106.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$5.88 €5.01

19.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$7.72 €6.57

-1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.70 €1.45

-15.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.62 €1.38

43.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$1.79 €1.52

64.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$42.74 €36.37

-31.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.57 €3.04

26.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$28.51 €24.26

1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.99 €1.69

-5.03%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$29.8K €25.3K

31.12%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$27.2K €23.1K

19.43%

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

$189 €161

$187 €159

1.10%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$13.86 €11.80

60.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$31.61 €26.90

15.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$55.7 €47.43

4.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$23.39 €19.90

-8.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$8.75 €7.45

25.83%

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

$731 €622

$627 €533

16.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$4,101 €3,490

261.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$66.5 €56.6

34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$31.36 €26.69

19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$81.4 €69.2

28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$88.2 €75.0

31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$752 €640

106.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$583 €496

108.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,233 €1,049

127.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$910 €774

120.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$2,619 €2,228

173.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,822 €1,550

175.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.93

-31.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Isernia: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $752 in Isernia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $56 in Isernia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $302 per month, with Isernia 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 Isernia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Isernia differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,626 including rent). Isernia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $2,439 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $752 in Isernia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $627 in Isernia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,626 in Isernia versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Isernia but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Isernia 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 Isernia 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 Isernia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.