Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and L'Aquila Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and L'Aquila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,548 in L'Aquila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,395 in L'Aquila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,242 in L'Aquila.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 52% more expensive than L'Aquila, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, L'Aquila 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$20.98 €17.85

-15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$74.4 €63.4

-8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$12.87 €10.95

8.47%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$1.79 €1.53

54.19%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.79 €2.37

-1.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.34 €1.14

47.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.52 €4.70

-17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.82 €4.95

-22.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.46 €1.25

-15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.97 €2.52

-31.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.46 €2.09

-22.36%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.42 €2.91

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$13.36 €11.37

37.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$12.48 €10.62

-24.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$16.81 €14.30

12.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.26 €1.92

16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.92 €1.63

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.28 €1.94

-7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.03 €2.58

-10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.59 €1.35

28.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.65 €1.41

7.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.51 €1.29

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.42 €0.36

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$6.98 €5.94

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$6.03 €5.14

25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.39 €1.19

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.65 €1.41

40.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$1.69 €1.44

73.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$35.24 €29.99

-16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.28 €4.49

-14.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.65 €1.40

29.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$25.80 €21.96

12.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$2.09 €1.78

-9.57%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$33.3K €28.3K

17.25%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$33.4K €28.5K

-3.02%

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

$189 €161

$187 €159

1.07%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$14.10 €12.00

57.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$31.94 €27.18

14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$57.7 €49.07

0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$29.20 €24.85

-27.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$8.49 €7.22

29.68%

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

$731 €622

$530 €451

37.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$5,880 €5,004

152.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$93.6 €79.6

-4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$17.48 €14.88

113.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$93.1 €79.2

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$79.5 €67.7

46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$624 €531

148.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$494 €421

146.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$979 €833

185.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$810 €689

147.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$2,957 €2,516

142.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,758 €1,496

185.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,006 €1,707

22.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.69

-8.13%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for L'Aquila: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $624 in L'Aquila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 23% 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: $68 in Barcelona vs $74 in L'Aquila. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $309, with L'Aquila cheaper for home cooking.

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 L'Aquila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and L'Aquila differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,548 including rent). L'Aquila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 23% more on average, 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $624 in L'Aquila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $530 in L'Aquila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,548 in L'Aquila versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in L'Aquila but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes L'Aquila 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 L'Aquila 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 L'Aquila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.