Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Palma Soriano Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Palma Soriano

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,568 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,880 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,193 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Palma Soriano 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$5.01 CUP 120

250.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$25.43 CUP 610

169.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.93 CUP 118

185.19%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.15 CUP 75.5

-11.75%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.26 CUP 30.28

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.92 CUP 22.04

123.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.04 CUP 72.9

46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.42 CUP 58.1

90.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.05 CUP 49.13

-39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.42 CUP 34.16

42.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.02 CUP 24.41

88.24%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.21 CUP 29.12

173.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.16 CUP 148

199.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.12 CUP 147

55.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.82 CUP 260

77.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.90 CUP 45.58

38.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.22 CUP 29.37

100.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.46 CUP 35.01

45.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.46 CUP 34.97

95.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 CUP 23.75

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.98 CUP 23.53

88.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.02 CUP 24.41

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.12 CUP 26.96

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.06 CUP 73.4

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.89 CUP 237

-20.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-53.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.04 CUP 48.99

13.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.26 CUP 6.28

1046.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$29.80 CUP 715

-1.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.82 CUP 43.75

152.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.36 CUP 8.69

475.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$12.72 CUP 305

129.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.12 CUP 26.84

64.29%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

-40.35%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$46.2K CUP 1.1M

-29.18%

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

$188 €162

$54.2 CUP 1,300

246.85%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$10.05 CUP 241

128.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$146 CUP 3,499

-74.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$40.49 CUP 972

41.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$9.92 CUP 238

108.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$0.98 CUP 23.45

1041.84%

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

$721 €621

$99.9 CUP 2,397

621.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$12.2K CUP 292.5K

23.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$64.0 CUP 1,536

34.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$34.89 CUP 837

6.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$86.6 CUP 2,079

17.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$111 CUP 2,674

4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$880 CUP 21.1K

74.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$798 CUP 19.2K

52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$743 CUP 17.8K

262.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$654 CUP 15.7K

207.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$314 CUP 7,545

2196.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$330 CUP 7,920

1472.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$39.79 CUP 955

5829.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.33

-59.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5829% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $216 per month, with Palma Soriano 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 Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Palma Soriano differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,568 including rent). Palma Soriano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 5829% 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 $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $99.9 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,568 in Palma Soriano versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Palma Soriano but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Palma Soriano 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 Soriano 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 Soriano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.