Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jekabpils Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jekabpils

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,303 in Jekabpils.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,905 in Jekabpils.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,507 in Jekabpils.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 78% more expensive than in Jekabpils, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Jekabpils is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.48

$12.97 €11.37

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.1

$33.03 €28.96

110.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.42

$9.22 €8.08

53.58%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.40 €2.98

-17.65%

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

$2.81 €2.47

$1.06 €0.93

165.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.93 €0.81

121.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.88 €4.28

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.93 €5.20

-20.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.10 €0.97

11.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.62 €1.42

25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.93 €2.57

-32.42%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.26 €1.98

54.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.07

$9.24 €8.10

98.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.62

$6.81 €5.97

44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.77

$11.65 €10.22

64.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.20 €1.06

127.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.83 €1.61

30.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$2.05 €1.80

1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.43 €3.01

-19.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.09 €0.95

79.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.89 €0.78

101.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.76 €1.55

-15.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.85 €0.74

7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.26

$5.66 €4.96

25.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.91

$6.79 €5.96

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.47 €1.29

-6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.10

$1.17 €1.03

104.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.48 €1.30

103.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.74

$37.03 €32.47

-20.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.03 €0.90

323.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.34 €0.30

526.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.96

$13.65 €11.97

116.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.86 €1.63

-2.15%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$30.0K €26.3K

26.24%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$31.3K €27.5K

3.41%

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

$189 €166

$278 €244

-31.96%

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

$22.29 €19.55

$11.48 €10.07

94.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.58

$17.01 €14.91

118.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.9

$51.1 €44.83

13.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.12

$13.62 €11.94

51.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.53

$11.63 €10.19

-6.53%

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

$706 €619

$552 €484

27.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,995 €7,010

85.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.4

$91.2 €79.9

-1.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.09

$29.41 €25.79

24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.2

$94.2 €82.6

10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$134 €118

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,384

$353 €310

346.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,086

$252 €221

390.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,378

$745 €653

263.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,788

$460 €404

342.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,599

$850 €745

785.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,594

$806 €707

549.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,073

$998 €875

136.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.63

-26.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $353 in Jekabpils. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 137% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Jekabpils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $233 per month, with Jekabpils 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 Jekabpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jekabpils differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,303 including rent). Jekabpils is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $353 in Jekabpils. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $552 in Jekabpils. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,303 in Jekabpils versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jekabpils but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jekabpils 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 Jekabpils 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 Jekabpils gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.