Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and La Moraleja Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and La Moraleja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,756 in La Moraleja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,524 in La Moraleja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,291 in La Moraleja.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than in La Moraleja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, La Moraleja 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$17.62 €15.43

0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$68.4 €59.9

1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.33 €9.05

37.08%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.37 €2.08

18.14%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.10 €2.71

-9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.07 €1.81

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.45 €3.02

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.50 €3.94

4.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.19 €1.04

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.11 €0.97

82.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.69 €1.48

17.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.70 €2.36

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.77 €12.93

24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.88 €7.77

10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$16.96 €14.85

12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.65 €2.32

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.15 €1.88

10.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.91 €1.67

8.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.76 €2.42

-0.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.88 €1.65

4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.02 €1.77

-11.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.49 €1.31

-0.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.63 €0.55

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.96 €6.10

2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.08 €7.08

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.24 €1.09

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.23 €1.96

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.70 €1.49

77.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$34.16 €29.92

-14.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.03 €3.53

8.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.31 €1.15

62.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$28.83 €25.25

2.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.85 €1.62

-1.62%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$37.5K €32.8K

1.16%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.0K €29.8K

-4.81%

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

$189 €166

$196 €172

-3.48%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$21.69 €19.00

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$35.98 €31.51

3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$47.01 €41.17

23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.86 €13.02

39.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.35 €9.94

-4.23%

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

$706 €618

$265 €232

166.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,079 €1,821

615.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$88.4 €77.4

1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$37.36 €32.72

-2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$91.0 €79.7

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$88.7 €77.7

34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$845 €740

86.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$701 €614

76.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,337 €1,171

102.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,018 €891

100.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,210 €2,811

134.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,021 €1,770

159.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$3,738 €3,274

-36.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.43

-1.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for La Moraleja: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $845 in La Moraleja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Moraleja pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in La Moraleja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $278 per month, with La Moraleja 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 La Moraleja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and La Moraleja differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,756 including rent). La Moraleja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in La Moraleja. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $845 in La Moraleja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $265 in La Moraleja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,756 in La Moraleja versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in La Moraleja but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes La Moraleja 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 La Moraleja 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 La Moraleja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.