Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Novara Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Novara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,473 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,315 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,156 in Novara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 58% more expensive than in Novara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Novara 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$17.22 €15.08

2.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$58.9 €51.6

18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.44 €8.27

50.00%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.77 €1.55

58.19%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.40 €2.98

-17.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.48 €1.30

39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$5.84 €5.12

-21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.23 €4.58

-10.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.51 €1.32

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.94 €1.70

4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.93 €2.56

-32.42%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.27 €2.86

6.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.77 €11.18

43.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$9.21 €8.07

6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.72 €12.01

39.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.64 €2.31

3.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.75 €1.54

36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.37 €2.95

-38.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.28 €2.00

20.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.99 €1.74

-1.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.13 €0.99

58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.06 €0.93

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 €0.45

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.10 €6.22

0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.61 €4.91

40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.59 €1.39

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.82 €1.60

31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.71 €1.50

76.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$39.26 €34.38

-25.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.68 €4.10

-6.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.17 €1.90

-1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$35.42 €31.02

-16.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.00 €1.75

-9.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$28.8K €25.2K

31.75%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$30.9K €27.1K

4.72%

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

$189 €166

$171 €150

10.47%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.15 €11.52

69.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$31.30 €27.42

18.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$66.3 €58.1

-12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.89 €17.42

3.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$12.80 €11.21

-15.08%

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

$706 €618

$533 €467

32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.5K €9,159

42.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$85.9 €75.2

4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.67 €30.37

5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$86.8 €76.0

19.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$127 €111

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$655 €574

140.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$450 €394

175.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,099 €963

146.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$811 €710

151.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,855 €2,501

163.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,916 €1,678

173.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,102 €1,841

12.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.21

-19.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Novara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $655 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 12% 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 $59.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $275 per month, with Novara 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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Novara differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,473 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $655 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $533 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,473 in Novara versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.