Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Porto Rafti Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Porto Rafti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,303 in Porto Rafti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,998 in Porto Rafti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,693 in Porto Rafti.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 82% more expensive than Porto Rafti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Porto Rafti is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.63 €10.01

51.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$56.2 €48.33

21.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.76 €7.54

60.50%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.91 €3.36

-28.90%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.60 €1.38

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.55 €0.47

274.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.61 €3.97

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$4.55 €3.91

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.76 €1.51

-29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.17 €1.01

73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.33 €2.00

-17.60%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.18 €3.60

-20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.41 €9.82

61.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.11 €7.84

4.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.65 €11.74

40.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.18 €1.87

21.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.33 €2.01

5.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.67 €1.44

26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.47 €2.13

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.26 €1.08

61.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.13 €0.97

63.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.95 €0.81

54.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.59 €0.51

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.29 €4.55

34.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.49 €5.58

21.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.78 €1.53

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.36 €2.03

-2.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.58 €1.36

88.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$46.24 €39.78

-36.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.94 €3.39

16.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$11.73 €10.09

148.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.04 €1.76

-9.80%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$31.9K €27.5K

22.22%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.2K €21.7K

29.73%

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

$188 €162

$157 €135

19.91%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$22.24 €19.13

3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$28.54 €24.55

28.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$49.11 €42.25

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$26.65 €22.92

-22.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.39 €8.08

19.17%

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

$721 €620

$525 €452

37.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,478 €5,573

132.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$65.9 €56.7

30.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$29.48 €25.36

25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$67.0 €57.7

52.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$107 €92.5

7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$487 €419

214.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$392 €337

211.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$765 €658

252.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$609 €524

230.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,887 €4,204

47.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,542 €2,187

104.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$876 €754

169.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.42

-23.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Porto Rafti: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $487 in Porto Rafti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 169% 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 $56.0 in Porto Rafti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $264 per month, with Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Porto Rafti differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,303 including rent). Porto Rafti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 169% 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 $487 in Porto Rafti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $525 in Porto Rafti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,303 in Porto Rafti versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Porto Rafti but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.