Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,744 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,636 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,528 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 36% more expensive than Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.20 €10.51

44.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$58.0 €49.95

18.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.60 €9.12

32.64%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.28 €1.96

21.93%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.11 €1.82

32.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.25 €1.07

64.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.81 €2.42

58.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.31 €3.71

6.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.23 €1.06

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.13 €1.83

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.06 €1.77

-6.80%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.37 €2.91

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.76 €10.13

56.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$10.28 €8.85

-7.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$16.70 €14.38

14.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.52 €2.17

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.47 €2.13

-0.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.29 €1.97

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.51 €2.16

13.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.18 €1.87

-6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.64 €2.28

-29.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.85 €1.60

-20.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.89 €0.76

-5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.49 €3.87

59.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.09 €6.10

11.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.55 €1.34

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.85 €3.32

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.66 €1.43

79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$16.51 €14.21

77.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.41 €2.94

34.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.28 €1.10

61.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$23.52 €20.25

24.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.68 €1.44

9.52%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.6K €33.2K

1.11%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$29.8K €25.6K

9.80%

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

$188 €162

$81.3 €70.0

130.94%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$21.11 €18.17

8.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$29.45 €25.36

24.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$52.9 €45.52

8.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$19.13 €16.47

8.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.18 €7.90

21.90%

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

$721 €621

$520 €448

38.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$6,497 €5,594

131.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$102 €88.3

-15.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$53.0 €45.67

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$107 €92.1

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$147 €127

-21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$992 €854

54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$828 €713

47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,462 €1,259

84.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,338 €1,152

50.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,252 €2,800

122.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,960 €1,688

164.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,746 €1,504

35.11%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $992 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 35% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $301 per month, with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 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 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,744 including rent). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 35% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $992 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $520 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,744 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 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 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 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 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.