Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pec Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $688 in Pec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,113 in Pec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,537 in Pec.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 260% more expensive than in Pec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Pec is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$5.95 €5.19

214.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$22.70 €19.78

206.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.58 €3.99

200.66%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.41 €1.23

119.86%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.52 €1.32

86.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.11 €0.97

69.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.98 €1.72

101.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.97 €2.59

52.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.28 €1.12

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.66 €0.57

227.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.36 €1.18

29.41%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.81 €1.58

183.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.15 €6.23

150.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.57 €5.73

46.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.72 €11.08

58.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.31 €1.15

148.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.38 €1.21

61.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.09 €0.95

138.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.43 €1.25

93.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.93 €0.81

137.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.89 €0.77

138.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.83 €0.72

86.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.48 €0.41

97.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.45 €3.01

112.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$5.63 €4.91

42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.88 €0.77

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.29 €1.12

116.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.28 €1.99

43.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.55 €0.48

169.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.43 €2.99

899.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.44 €1.26

20.14%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$23.1K €20.1K

57.58%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.1K €23.6K

12.90%

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

$187 €163

$105 €91.8

77.63%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$11.34 €9.88

33.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$24.37 €21.25

54.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$23.55 €20.53

137.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$34.36 €29.95

-50.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.49 €3.92

154.12%

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

$997 €869

$153 €134

550.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,982 €2,599

454.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$42.82 €37.33

116.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$29.15 €25.41

41.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$65.5 €57.1

69.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$81.8 €71.3

52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$170 €148

902.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$115 €99.8

1022.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$343 €299

647.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$293 €256

562.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,318 €1,149

480.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,107 €965

366.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$482 €421

386.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.44

-28.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Pec: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $170 in Pec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 387% 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 $23.00 in Pec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $183 per month, with Pec 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 Pec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pec differ by about 260% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $688 including rent). Pec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 387% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $170 in Pec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $153 in Pec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pec – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Pec versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pec but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pec 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 Pec 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 Pec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.