Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Metkovic Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Metkovic

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,504 in Metkovic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,230 in Metkovic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,956 in Metkovic.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than Metkovic, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Metkovic 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.71 €10.07

50.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$45.67 €39.29

49.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.31 €7.15

69.19%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.78 €1.53

56.18%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.64 €3.13

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.53 €2.17

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.57 €3.93

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.85 €3.31

19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.20 €1.03

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.43 €1.23

41.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.13 €2.69

-38.66%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$5.19 €4.46

-36.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$17.76 €15.28

3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.78 €10.13

-19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.52 €9.91

66.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.63 €1.41

61.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.56 €1.34

57.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.10 €1.80

0.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.51 €2.16

13.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.41 €1.22

44.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.42 €1.22

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.96 €0.83

53.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.18 €1.02

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.19 €4.46

37.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.69 €6.61

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.32 €1.14

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.35 €1.16

71.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.76 €1.52

69.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$42.41 €36.48

-31.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.09 €2.65

48.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.11 €1.82

-1.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$9.04 €7.78

222.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.71 €1.47

7.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.7K €33.3K

0.87%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.6K €22.0K

27.78%

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

$188 €162

-0.07%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$23.48 €20.20

-2.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$29.80 €25.63

23.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$51.6 €44.42

11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$14.80 €12.73

39.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$8.43 €7.25

32.74%

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

$721 €620

$244 €210

195.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,388 €1,194

983.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$104 €89.1

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$46.60 €40.08

-20.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$138 €119

-26.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$104 €89.7

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$662 €569

131.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$462 €397

164.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,030 €886

161.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$761 €655

164.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,103 €3,530

75.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,882 €2,479

80.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$693 €597

240.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.7

-27.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Metkovic: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $662 in Metkovic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 240% 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 $46.00 in Metkovic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $295 per month, with Metkovic 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 Metkovic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Metkovic differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,504 including rent). Metkovic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 240% 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 $662 in Metkovic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $244 in Metkovic. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,504 in Metkovic versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Metkovic but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Metkovic 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 Metkovic 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 Metkovic gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.