Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Palma Soriano

For one person, living is cheaper in Palma Soriano: $1,565 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Palma Soriano
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Palma Soriano Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Palma Soriano

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Palma Soriano

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 Palma Soriano actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,565 in Palma Soriano.

Barcelona $2,381
Palma Soriano $1,565

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $1,874 in Palma Soriano.

Barcelona $3,406
Palma Soriano $1,874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $2,183 in Palma Soriano.

Barcelona $4,431
Palma Soriano $2,183

Living in Barcelona is roughly 52% more expensive than in Palma Soriano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Palma Soriano 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$4.86 CUP 117

268.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$24.89 CUP 597

165.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$4.88 CUP 117

180.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$3.16 CUP 75.7

-3.16%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$1.26 CUP 30.25

143.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.89 CUP 21.27

117.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$3.07 CUP 73.7

26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$2.47 CUP 59.3

86.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.03 CUP 48.71

-35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.47 CUP 35.25

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$1.01 CUP 24.31

81.19%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$1.22 CUP 29.17

278.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$5.83 CUP 140

197.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$6.08 CUP 146

52.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$11.21 CUP 269

76.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.88 CUP 45.07

60.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.19 CUP 28.55

70.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.46 CUP 34.96

81.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$1.53 CUP 36.71

87.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.97 CUP 23.29

122.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$0.99 CUP 23.69

117.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.02 CUP 24.52

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.12 CUP 26.84

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$2.97 CUP 71.3

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$10.01 CUP 240

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$3.03 CUP 72.8

-54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.98 CUP 47.48

32.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$0.24 CUP 5.72

1112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$30.36 CUP 729

-16.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$1.84 CUP 44.14

63.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.34 CUP 8.05

323.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$13.16 CUP 316

152.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.18 CUP 28.34

57.63%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

-50.55%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$46.5K CUP 1.1M

-31.88%

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

$183 €163

$55.8 CUP 1,340

227.41%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$9.81 CUP 235

38.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$145 CUP 3,484

-77.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$40.02 CUP 961

36.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

$9.83 CUP 236

68.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$1.02 CUP 24.49

1000.98%

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

$954 €849

$100 CUP 2,403

852.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$11.8K CUP 283.6K

40.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$65.2 CUP 1,565

31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$34.94 CUP 838

11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$85.5 CUP 2,051

21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$111 CUP 2,660

7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$875 CUP 21.0K

93.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$807 CUP 19.4K

58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$757 CUP 18.2K

240.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$656 CUP 15.7K

192.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$322 CUP 7,725

2162.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$324 CUP 7,785

1444.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$39.94 CUP 959

5475.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

8.33

-60.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Palma Soriano

$807 51.6% 36.8% $469

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Palma Soriano

$217 13.9% 33.3% $108

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Palma Soriano

$120 7.7% 55.4% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Palma Soriano

$211 13.5% 8.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Palma Soriano

$133 8.5% 14.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Palma Soriano

$42 2.7% 45.5% $35

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Palma Soriano

$35 2.2% 26.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $875 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5475% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $217 per month, with Palma Soriano cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇨🇺 Palma Soriano

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

74,930

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona Palma Soriano 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
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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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Palma Soriano differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $1,565 including rent). Palma Soriano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5475% 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $875 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $954 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 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,565 in Palma Soriano versus $2,381 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 52% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.