Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Montijo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Montijo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,857 in Montijo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,610 in Montijo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,364 in Montijo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Montijo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$12.69 €10.99

35.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$45.77 €39.64

48.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.30 €8.06

46.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.65 €2.30

4.91%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.82 €1.58

54.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.23 €1.07

59.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.28 €1.98

94.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.54 €3.07

30.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.13 €0.98

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.46 €1.26

45.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.09 €1.81

-4.78%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.40 €2.94

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.25 €9.74

68.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.80 €6.75

22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$14.33 €12.41

30.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.61 €2.26

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.53 €1.33

53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.76 €1.52

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.93 €2.54

-6.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.48 €1.28

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.21 €1.91

-18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.53 €1.33

-1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$5.93 €5.13

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.98 €6.05

13.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.28 €1.11

7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.11 €0.96

116.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.12 €1.83

37.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$45.76 €39.63

-37.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.83 €3.32

19.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.23 €1.07

65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$17.09 €14.80

68.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.98 €1.72

-8.08%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$35.2K €30.5K

11.58%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$39.7K €34.3K

-18.10%

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

$187 €162

$132 €114

41.32%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$21.77 €18.85

2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$49.77 €43.10

-26.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$23.30 €20.18

146.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$8.29 €7.18

29.92%

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

$725 €628

$467 €405

55.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$7,273 €6,298

108.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$69.1 €59.8

27.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$38.50 €33.34

-4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$70.5 €61.1

46.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$90.9 €78.8

30.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,407 €1,219

8.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$967 €838

26.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,775 €1,537

53.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,419 €1,229

39.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,225 €2,793

131.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,384 €2,065

119.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,136 €984

110.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.01

-32.34%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Montijo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,407 in Montijo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 111% 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 Montijo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $256 per month, with Montijo 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 Montijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Montijo differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,857 including rent). Montijo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 111% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,407 in Montijo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $467 in Montijo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,857 in Montijo versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montijo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Montijo 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 Montijo 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 Montijo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.