Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oviedo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oviedo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,925 in Oviedo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,884 in Oviedo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,844 in Oviedo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Oviedo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Oviedo 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$29.51 €25.39

-37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$70.2 €60.4

-1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$13.76 €11.84

2.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.34 €2.01

33.76%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.03 €2.61

-0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.18 €1.88

-10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.09 €3.52

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.16 €3.58

14.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.26 €1.09

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.17 €1.01

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.39 €1.19

21.58%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.22 €3.63

16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$14.02 €12.06

27.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$9.50 €8.18

1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$17.51 €15.07

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.87 €2.47

12.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.19 €1.88

-0.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.29 €1.97

16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.57 €3.07

-22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.18 €1.87

1.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.29 €1.97

-4.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.41 €1.21

7.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.82 €0.70

12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$6.30 €5.42

13.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$5.77 €4.96

41.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.59 €1.37

-5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.35 €2.88

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.71 €1.47

84.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$35.54 €30.58

-24.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$5.60 €4.82

-41.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.35 €1.16

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$19.49 €16.77

79.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.80 €1.55

-2.78%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$37.0K €31.9K

-0.98%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$31.3K €27.0K

-1.22%

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

$188 €161

$156 €135

19.95%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$20.53 €17.67

-24.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$34.29 €29.50

10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$46.98 €40.43

21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$14.64 €12.60

14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.51 €9.90

0.61%

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

$1,003 €863

$352 €303

184.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$8,655 €7,448

96.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$111 €95.8

-19.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$74.2 €63.9

-44.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$127 €110

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$144 €124

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$928 €798

80.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$703 €605

89.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,479 €1,273

75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,128 €971

72.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,085 €2,654

145.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,891 €1,627

183.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,917 €1,650

25.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.96

6.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Oviedo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $928 in Oviedo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 25% 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 $70.0 in Oviedo. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $296, with Oviedo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Oviedo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oviedo differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,925 including rent). Oviedo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $928 in Oviedo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $352 in Oviedo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,925 in Oviedo versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oviedo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Oviedo 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 Oviedo 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 Oviedo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.