Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,185 in Palma de Mallorca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,219 in Palma de Mallorca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,252 in Palma de Mallorca.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 8% more expensive than Palma de Mallorca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Palma de Mallorca 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$17.43 €14.99

0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$62.7 €53.9

9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$14.03 €12.07

0.21%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.35 €2.88

-17.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.86 €2.46

-2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.80 €2.41

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.65 €4.00

-4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.49 €3.86

2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.16 €1.00

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.63 €1.40

24.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.76 €1.52

9.09%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.34 €2.87

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$16.31 €14.03

13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.41 €8.09

0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$16.13 €13.88

18.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.45 €2.10

7.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.91 €1.64

28.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.93 €1.66

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.92 €2.51

-2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.85 €1.59

10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.30 €1.98

-19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.30 €1.12

13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.71 €0.61

18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.78 €5.83

5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.77 €4.97

36.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.30 €1.12

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.79 €1.54

29.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.30 €1.98

29.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$44.31 €38.11

-33.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$5.05 €4.34

-8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.15 €2.71

-34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$25.06 €21.56

16.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.85 €1.59

-0.54%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.7K €33.3K

0.81%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$32.6K €28.0K

0.39%

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

$188 €162

$247 €212

-23.81%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$21.92 €18.86

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$42.42 €36.49

-13.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$58.9 €50.7

-2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$22.18 €19.08

-6.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.51 €8.18

17.67%

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

$721 €620

$600 €516

20.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$12.3K €10.6K

22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$96.2 €82.7

-10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$63.8 €54.9

-41.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$96.9 €83.3

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$135 €116

-14.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,328 €1,142

15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,016 €874

20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,085 €1,794

29.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,690 €1,454

19.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$7,092 €6,100

1.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,824 €3,289

35.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,063 €1,774

14.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.59

-5.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Palma de Mallorca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,328 in Palma de Mallorca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% 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 $63.0 in Palma de Mallorca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $284 per month, with Palma de Mallorca 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 Palma de Mallorca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,185 including rent). Palma de Mallorca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 14% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,328 in Palma de Mallorca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $600 in Palma de Mallorca. 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 $2,185 in Palma de Mallorca versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Palma de Mallorca but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Palma de Mallorca 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 Palma de Mallorca 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 Palma de Mallorca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.