Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lelystad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lelystad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,799 in Lelystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,847 in Lelystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,894 in Lelystad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than in Lelystad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Lelystad 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$24.73 €21.65

-28.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$91.5 €80.1

-23.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$13.70 €12.00

3.36%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.92 €3.44

-28.57%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.19 €2.80

-11.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.85 €1.62

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$5.11 €4.48

-9.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.86 €5.13

-19.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.64 €1.44

23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.48 €2.17

-20.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.66 €4.08

-25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.75 €5.91

171.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$15.38 €13.47

-36.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$17.67 €15.48

8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.29 €2.00

19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.54 €2.22

-6.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.96 €1.72

6.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.55 €3.11

-22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.10 €1.84

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.88 €1.65

-4.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.22 €1.07

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.83 €0.72

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$10.15 €8.89

-29.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.95 €6.09

13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.34 €1.18

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.53 €3.09

-14.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$118 €103

-75.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.15 €3.64

5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.45 €2.14

-13.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$26.93 €23.59

9.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.21 €1.93

-17.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.1K €29.9K

10.98%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$38.7K €33.9K

-16.33%

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

$189 €166

$239 €209

-20.90%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$14.92 €13.07

49.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$36.65 €32.10

1.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$44.45 €38.93

30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.35 €20.45

-11.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$14.15 €12.39

-23.18%

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

$706 €618

$2,716 €2,379

-74.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,240 €5,465

138.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$99.7 €87.3

-10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$50.1 €43.87

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$99.0 €86.7

5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$120 €105

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$693 €607

127.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$458 €401

170.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,406 €1,231

92.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$821 €719

148.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,493 €2,184

-5.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.28

-20.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lelystad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $693 in Lelystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lelystad pays 5% 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 $92.0 in Lelystad. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $310, with Lelystad 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 Lelystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lelystad differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,799 including rent). Lelystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Lelystad. 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 $693 in Lelystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $2,716 in Lelystad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,799 in Lelystad versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lelystad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lelystad 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 Lelystad 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 Lelystad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.