Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mortsel Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mortsel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,084 in Mortsel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $3,195 in Mortsel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $4,306 in Mortsel.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mortsel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Mortsel 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$23.58 €20.73

-27.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$115 €101

-38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$12.88 €11.32

8.85%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$4.11 €3.61

-32.36%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$3.44 €3.03

-19.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$3.18 €2.80

-35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$5.50 €4.84

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$4.59 €4.04

1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.36 €1.19

-5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.70 €2.37

-20.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$2.39 €2.10

-19.25%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$4.17 €3.67

-16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$17.26 €15.17

7.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$11.80 €10.37

-19.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$21.73 €19.10

-13.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$2.93 €2.57

-10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$2.33 €2.05

-10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$3.18 €2.80

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.90 €1.67

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$2.13 €1.87

-13.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$1.32 €1.16

15.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.86 €0.76

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$12.76 €11.22

-46.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$9.00 €7.91

-13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.02 €1.78

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.33 €2.05

-0.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$2.62 €2.30

14.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$55.7 €48.95

-48.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$5.86 €5.15

-21.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.53 €2.22

-15.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$46.35 €40.75

-36.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.90 €1.67

-5.26%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$33.9K €29.8K

13.44%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$33.3K €29.3K

-0.17%

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

$185 €163

$228 €200

-18.78%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$23.13 €20.34

-1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$51.2 €44.98

-28.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$38.11 €33.50

51.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$16.96 €14.91

24.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$14.84 €13.04

-27.02%

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

$727 €639

$578 €509

25.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$13.7K €12.1K

7.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$113 €99.0

-22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$49.90 €43.87

-25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$105 €92.2

-1.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$165 €145

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$917 €806

70.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$764 €672

59.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$1,369 €1,204

100.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$1,106 €972

80.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$3,604 €3,168

107.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$3,024 €2,658

72.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$2,406 €2,115

-2.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $917 in Mortsel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mortsel pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $115 in Mortsel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $355 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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mortsel differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,084 including rent). Mortsel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Mortsel. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $917 in Mortsel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $578 in Mortsel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,084 in Mortsel versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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 Mortsel 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 Mortsel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.