Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jekabpils

For one person, living is cheaper in Jekabpils: $1,188 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Jekabpils, Latvia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Jekabpils
🇱🇻 Latvia
$1,188
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Jekabpils

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 Jekabpils actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,188 in Jekabpils.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Jekabpils $1,188

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,776 in Jekabpils.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Jekabpils $1,776

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,364 in Jekabpils.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Jekabpils $2,364

Living in Barcelona is roughly 106% more expensive than in Jekabpils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Jekabpils is 13% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$12.35 €11.06
42.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$31.09 €27.85
117.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$9.08 €8.13
49.01%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.34 €2.99
-4.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$1.03 €0.93
182.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.97 €0.87
94.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$5.64 €5.05
-28.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$5.17 €4.63
-12.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.11 €0.99
18.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.43 €1.28
41.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.45 €2.19
-24.49%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$2.30 €2.06
110.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$10.31 €9.24
62.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$6.52 €5.84
39.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$13.95 €12.49
40.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$1.54 €1.38
93.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.68 €1.51
20.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.94 €1.74
39.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$3.25 €2.91
-13.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.89 €0.80
134.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.91 €0.82
127.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.67 €1.50
-12.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.75 €0.67
25.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$5.73 €5.14
19.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$6.88 €6.16
14.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.47 €1.32
-4.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.66 €1.48
53.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$1.09 €0.98
188.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
$66.7 €59.7
-61.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$1.03 €0.93
190.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.37 €0.33
302.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$17.82 €15.96
87.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.81 €1.62
-0.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$26.9K €24.1K
23.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$29.3K €26.2K
8.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$266 €238
-32.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$11.00 €9.85
25.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$16.41 €14.70
105.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$33.56 €30.06
53.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$13.48 €12.07
18.40%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$10.89 €9.75
0.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$603 €540
52.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$7,744 €6,935
112.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$69.3 €62.1
25.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$28.49 €25.52
35.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$87.1 €78.0
21.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$139 €125
-13.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$226 €203
651.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$171 €153
692.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$390 €349
567.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$332 €297
521.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$853 €764
710.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$794 €711
545.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Jekabpils
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$980 €877
125.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
4.77
-31.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Jekabpils
$171 87.4% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Jekabpils
$236 26.6% $86
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Jekabpils
$213 20.6% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Jekabpils
$293 28.7% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Jekabpils
$146 7.7% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Jekabpils
$55 24.7% $18
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Jekabpils
$74 52.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $226 in Jekabpils. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $31 in Jekabpils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $236 per month, with Jekabpils cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇱🇻 Jekabpils
🕒 Local time
21:57 9:57 PM
22:57 10:57 PM
1 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
22,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Jekabpils 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Jekabpils

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 Jekabpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Jekabpils?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,188 in Jekabpils, so Jekabpils is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Jekabpils?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Jekabpils?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $226 in Jekabpils. 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 Jekabpils?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $603 in Jekabpils. 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 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,188 in Jekabpils versus $2,453 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Jekabpils?
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 Jekabpils safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Jekabpils are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Jekabpils?
It comes down to priorities – Jekabpils wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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