Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Modena Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Modena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,989 in Modena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,092 in Modena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $4,195 in Modena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 21% more expensive than in Modena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Modena 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$23.58 €20.57

-25.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$79.6 €69.4

-11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$11.36 €9.91

20.25%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$1.94 €1.69

41.24%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$3.13 €2.73

-10.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.33 €1.16

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$5.75 €5.02

-24.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$5.63 €4.91

-18.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.41 €1.23

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.88 €2.51

-28.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.53 €2.21

-21.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$4.79 €4.18

-29.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$19.91 €17.37

-6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$14.81 €12.93

-35.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$22.53 €19.66

-16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$2.80 €2.44

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.78 €2.43

-11.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.61 €3.15

-41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$3.96 €3.46

-28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.68 €2.34

-24.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.82 €1.59

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.54 €1.35

-1.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.56 €0.49

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$6.82 €5.95

3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$9.24 €8.06

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.68 €1.46

-14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.67 €2.33

-14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.36 €2.06

22.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$37.11 €32.38

-23.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$6.70 €5.85

-34.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.16 €1.02

84.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$33.87 €29.55

-13.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.02 €1.76

-7.92%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$28.1K €24.5K

38.94%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$37.0K €32.3K

-11.67%

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

$189 €165

$263 €230

-28.11%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$12.84 €11.20

76.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$31.19 €27.21

17.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$68.5 €59.8

-15.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$22.78 €19.88

-6.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$10.85 €9.46

-0.37%

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

$726 €634

$703 €613

3.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$11.4K €9,940

32.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$100 €87.7

-12.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$42.62 €37.19

-13.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$103 €89.7

0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$131 €114

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$872 €761

80.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$677 €590

80.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$1,661 €1,449

63.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$1,285 €1,121

53.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$3,670 €3,202

112.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$2,230 €1,946

136.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$2,182 €1,903

8.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.24

-20.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Modena: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $872 in Modena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 9% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $80.0 in Modena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $395 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 Modena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Modena differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,989 including rent). Modena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $872 in Modena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $703 in Modena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,989 in Modena versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Modena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Modena 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 Modena 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 Modena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.