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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,972 in Modena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,106 in Modena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,240 in Modena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than Modena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Modena 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$22.78 €19.50

-22.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$79.5 €68.1

-13.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$11.36 €9.72

21.04%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.05 €1.76

34.63%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$3.17 €2.71

-12.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.34 €1.14

52.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$5.67 €4.85

-18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.96 €5.10

-22.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.41 €1.21

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.85 €2.44

-25.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.58 €2.21

-23.64%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$4.81 €4.12

-28.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$20.21 €17.30

-6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$14.93 €12.78

-36.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$22.34 €19.12

-14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.73 €2.34

-0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.78 €2.38

-14.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$3.71 €3.18

-43.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.95 €3.38

-30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.81 €2.41

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.75 €1.50

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.56 €1.34

-3.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.58 €0.49

55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.89 €5.89

-1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$9.35 €8.00

-19.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.64 €1.41

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.63 €2.25

-8.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.29 €1.96

32.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$36.30 €31.07

-21.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$6.88 €5.89

-35.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.17 €1.00

75.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$33.33 €28.53

-12.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.05 €1.75

-7.80%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.5K €23.5K

41.12%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$37.1K €31.8K

-12.77%

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

$189 €161

$261 €224

-27.82%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$12.76 €10.92

74.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$31.36 €26.85

17.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$68.1 €58.3

-14.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$23.28 €19.93

-9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$10.91 €9.34

1.28%

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

$726 €622

$716 €613

1.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$11.2K €9,587

35.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$99.9 €85.5

-11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$42.30 €36.21

-12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$102 €87.6

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$127 €109

-6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$881 €754

73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$682 €584

78.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,642 €1,405

70.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,308 €1,120

54.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,721 €3,185

90.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,252 €1,928

115.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,128 €1,822

12.95%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Modena: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $881 in Modena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 13% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $80.0 in Modena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $397 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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,972 including rent). Modena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 13% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $881 in Modena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $716 in Modena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,972 in Modena versus $2,341 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 19% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.