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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,582 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,882 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,181 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Palma Soriano 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$4.89 CUP 117

276.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$25.23 CUP 606

174.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$5.03 CUP 121

179.32%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$3.23 CUP 77.6

-3.72%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$1.29 CUP 30.88

129.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.88 CUP 21.16

121.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$2.95 CUP 70.8

35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.38 CUP 57.1

94.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.96 CUP 47.10

-32.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.43 CUP 34.37

47.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.03 CUP 24.68

77.67%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.22 CUP 29.25

322.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$6.09 CUP 146

188.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$6.08 CUP 146

56.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$11.21 CUP 269

77.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.86 CUP 44.67

70.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.21 CUP 29.11

82.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.47 CUP 35.22

77.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.53 CUP 36.70

86.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.02 CUP 24.51

112.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.97 CUP 23.29

117.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.01 CUP 24.36

60.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.07 CUP 25.73

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$3.04 CUP 73.1

135.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$9.99 CUP 240

-16.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.96 CUP 71.2

-49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.96 CUP 46.92

40.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.24 CUP 5.75

1208.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$30.20 CUP 725

-13.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.83 CUP 43.85

75.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.37 CUP 8.76

308.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$12.88 CUP 309

173.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.18 CUP 28.42

48.31%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$65.7K CUP 1.6M

-44.16%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$46.7K CUP 1.1M

-32.23%

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

$187 €161

$55.2 CUP 1,325

238.99%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$10.15 CUP 244

48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$150 CUP 3,593

-74.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$40.60 CUP 974

36.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

$10.12 CUP 243

65.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$0.98 CUP 23.50

1094.90%

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

$1,011 €869

$100 CUP 2,407

907.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$11.9K CUP 285.6K

43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$64.5 CUP 1,549

41.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$34.65 CUP 831

18.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$83.6 CUP 2,006

32.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$111 CUP 2,652

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$867 CUP 20.8K

96.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$791 CUP 19.0K

64.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$742 CUP 17.8K

248.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$646 CUP 15.5K

198.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$322 CUP 7,737

2298.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$326 CUP 7,818

1552.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$40.19 CUP 964

5806.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.33

-62.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5807% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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 57% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,582 including rent). Palma Soriano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5807% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 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 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,582 in Palma Soriano versus $2,482 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 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.