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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,573 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,875 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,176 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 47% more expensive than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Palma Soriano 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$4.96 CUP 119

256.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$24.89 CUP 597

179.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$4.89 CUP 117

189.57%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.15 CUP 75.6

-11.11%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.28 CUP 30.62

119.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.93 CUP 22.33

121.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.98 CUP 71.4

54.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.50 CUP 60.0

87.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.97 CUP 47.25

-37.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.42 CUP 34.11

42.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.97 CUP 23.35

104.12%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.23 CUP 29.42

183.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$5.96 CUP 143

207.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$6.12 CUP 147

60.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$11.17 CUP 268

71.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.83 CUP 43.90

49.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.18 CUP 28.41

101.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.51 CUP 36.30

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.53 CUP 36.82

79.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.03 CUP 24.65

90.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.98 CUP 23.46

82.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.02 CUP 24.42

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.12 CUP 26.77

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.98 CUP 71.6

139.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$10.03 CUP 241

-21.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$3.05 CUP 73.1

-54.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.04 CUP 49.00

17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.24 CUP 5.71

1154.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$30.34 CUP 728

-3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.75 CUP 41.99

149.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.37 CUP 8.77

475.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$13.14 CUP 315

125.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.17 CUP 27.98

55.56%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$66.4K CUP 1.6M

-42.90%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$45.9K CUP 1.1M

-29.45%

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

$189 €165

$54.1 CUP 1,299

249.21%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$9.97 CUP 239

123.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$148 CUP 3,552

-74.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$39.39 CUP 945

47.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$9.97 CUP 239

107.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$0.98 CUP 23.44

1009.18%

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

$706 €618

$100 CUP 2,404

604.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.8K CUP 283.0K

26.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$65.8 CUP 1,579

35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$35.05 CUP 841

4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$85.2 CUP 2,046

22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$109 CUP 2,616

9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$867 CUP 20.8K

82.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$793 CUP 19.0K

56.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$760 CUP 18.2K

256.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$659 CUP 15.8K

209.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$325 CUP 7,807

2213.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$323 CUP 7,758

1520.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$40.12 CUP 963

5791.90%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5792% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $217 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 47% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,573 including rent). Palma Soriano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5792% 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 $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $100 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Palma Soriano versus $2,320 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 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.