Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Novelda

For one person, living is cheaper in Novelda: $1,617 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Novelda
Learn more

Novelda Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Novelda

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Novelda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Novelda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,617 in Novelda.

Barcelona $2,443
Novelda $1,617

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,423 in Novelda.

Barcelona $3,519
Novelda $2,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,228 in Novelda.

Barcelona $4,595
Novelda $3,228

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than in Novelda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Novelda 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$16.85 €14.97

4.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$56.6 €50.2

19.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

$11.23 €9.98

21.19%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$2.25 €2.00

37.78%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.05 €1.82

46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.39 €1.23

38.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$3.03 €2.69

26.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$3.40 €3.02

28.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.15 €1.02

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.39 €1.24

52.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.54 €1.37

27.92%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$3.34 €2.97

42.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$15.40 €13.68

10.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

$9.38 €8.33

-4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

$16.83 €14.95

22.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.77 €2.46

14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.81 €1.60

8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.60 €1.42

65.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$2.76 €2.45

4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.92 €1.71

7.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.88 €1.67

15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.18 €1.05

29.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.66 €0.59

46.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$6.52 €5.79

6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$5.72 €5.08

37.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.16 €1.03

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$1.70 €1.51

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.51 €1.34

119.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

$29.81 €26.48

-14.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.39 €2.12

28.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.31 €1.16

12.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

$25.34 €22.51

29.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.83 €1.63

2.19%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$31.7K €28.2K

3.96%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$31.4K €27.9K

1.71%

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

$183 €162

$130 €115

41.11%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$15.83 €14.06

-10.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$29.50 €26.21

17.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$45.45 €40.37

13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

$16.79 €14.92

-2.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$8.20 €7.28

34.88%

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

$944 €838

$396 €352

138.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$11.0K €9,741

103.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

$71.6 €63.6

22.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

$35.19 €31.26

10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

$103 €91.1

1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$106 €93.8

11.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$921 €818

84.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$686 €609

94.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$1,324 €1,176

103.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$1,076 €956

93.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

$3,364 €2,989

112.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

$2,266 €2,013

124.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

2.99

6.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Novelda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Novelda

$686 42.4% 48.7% $651

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Novelda

$276 17.1% 15.7% $52

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Novelda

$231 14.3% 13.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Novelda

$175 10.8% 24.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Novelda

$142 8.8% 9.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Novelda

$62 3.8% 15.9% $12

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Novelda

$45 2.8% 9.3% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $921 in Novelda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $57 in Novelda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $276 per month, with Novelda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇸 Novelda

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

25,771

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Novelda 420 km

From you

Barcelona
Novelda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Novelda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,617 in Novelda, so Novelda is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $2,425 in Novelda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $921 in Novelda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $396 in Novelda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Novelda gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Novelda are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.