Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Medias Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Medias

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,128 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,718 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,307 in Medias.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 109% more expensive than in Medias, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Medias is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$12.38 RON 56.3

38.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$50.3 RON 228

35.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.13 RON 36.97

67.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.40 RON 15.46

-18.24%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.90 RON 8.66

48.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.07 RON 9.40

-5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$3.20 RON 14.54

38.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.36 RON 15.27

37.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.35 RON 6.13

-5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.34 RON 6.10

58.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.78 RON 8.11

11.80%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.35 RON 15.25

0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.43 RON 38.31

124.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.82 RON 30.99

39.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.98 RON 54.5

56.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.19 RON 5.39

122.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.65 RON 7.51

42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.61 RON 7.30

29.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.43 RON 11.06

12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.00 RON 4.53

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.03 RON 4.70

75.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.87 RON 3.94

73.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.80 RON 3.63

11.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.97 RON 27.13

13.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.76 RON 35.29

2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.14 RON 5.18

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.65 RON 7.50

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.72 RON 3.29

304.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$19.59 RON 89.1

46.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.71 RON 3.22

545.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.81 RON 3.68

151.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$7.03 RON 31.97

308.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.52 RON 6.90

19.74%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.2K RON 128.1K

39.59%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.5K RON 125.0K

18.12%

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

$187 €162

$162 RON 734

15.55%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$8.03 RON 36.49

177.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$8.94 RON 40.63

306.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.32 RON 188

39.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$19.14 RON 87.0

8.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.01 RON 31.88

53.64%

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

$725 €628

$452 RON 2,055

60.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,675 RON 30.3K

126.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$68.0 RON 309

29.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$43.75 RON 199

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$95.5 RON 434

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$100 RON 456

18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$389 RON 1,771

291.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$286 RON 1,302

328.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$584 RON 2,654

367.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$444 RON 2,017

347.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,806 RON 8,210

313.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,280 RON 5,821

309.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.7

-55.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medias: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $389 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $50.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $220 per month, with Medias 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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Medias differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,128 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,692 in Medias to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $389 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $452 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Medias versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.