Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mantova Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mantova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,875 in Mantova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,802 in Mantova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,729 in Mantova.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 26% more expensive than Mantova, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Mantova 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$23.03 €19.83

-23.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$76.1 €65.5

-10.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.26 €8.84

37.04%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.84 €1.58

51.09%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.82 €2.43

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.17 €1.00

76.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.74 €4.95

-22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.59 €3.95

0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.06 €1.77

-39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.07 €2.65

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.14 €2.71

-38.85%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.28 €3.69

-22.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$16.78 €14.45

9.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$10.30 €8.87

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.19 €13.08

26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.68 €2.31

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.00 €1.72

22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.37 €2.90

-37.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.68 €4.89

-49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.69 €1.46

20.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.04 €1.76

-9.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.19 €1.02

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.43 €0.37

95.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.59 €5.68

8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.22 €7.07

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.37 €1.18

0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.79 €1.54

29.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.31 €1.99

29.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$62.5 €53.8

-53.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.56 €3.92

0.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.40 €1.21

47.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$41.31 €35.58

-29.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.03 €1.75

-9.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.8K €29.1K

15.51%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$35.9K €30.9K

-8.81%

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

$188 €162

$203 €175

-7.63%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$11.30 €9.73

102.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$26.87 €23.13

36.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$64.0 €55.1

-10.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$35.24 €30.34

-41.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.86 €9.35

3.04%

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

$721 €621

$578 €498

24.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,874 €5,058

156.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$92.9 €80.0

-7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$32.00 €27.56

15.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$99.0 €85.2

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$131 €113

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$739 €636

107.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$629 €542

93.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,279 €1,101

110.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$922 €794

118.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$5,645 €4,861

27.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,604 €2,242

99.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,000 €1,722

17.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.75

-9.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mantova: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $739 in Mantova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 18% 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 $76.0 in Mantova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $342 per month, with Barcelona 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 Mantova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mantova differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,875 including rent). Mantova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 18% 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 $739 in Mantova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $578 in Mantova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,875 in Mantova versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mantova but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mantova 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 Mantova 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 Mantova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.