Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Purmerend

For one person, living costs are similar in Barcelona and in Purmerend: $2,443 and $2,481 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Purmerend
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Purmerend Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Purmerend

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Purmerend

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,481 in Purmerend.

Barcelona $2,443
Purmerend $2,481

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $3,542 in Purmerend.

Barcelona $3,519
Purmerend $3,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $4,603 in Purmerend.

Barcelona $4,595
Purmerend $4,603

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Purmerend; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Purmerend 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.72

$16.48 €14.67

7.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.1

$49.53 €44.10

36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.12

$12.88 €11.47

5.67%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$4.11 €3.66

-24.57%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$3.58 €3.19

-16.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.58 €2.30

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$5.99 €5.33

-35.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$5.72 €5.09

-23.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.37 €1.22

-8.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.18 €1.94

-2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.51 €2.24

-21.51%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$4.85 €4.32

-1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.20

$13.68 €12.18

24.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$13.71 €12.21

-34.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.39

$17.15 €15.27

20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.59 €2.31

22.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.40 €2.14

-17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.95 €1.74

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$4.27 €3.80

-32.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.79 €1.59

15.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.90 €1.69

14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.24 €1.10

23.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.91 €0.81

6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.20

$14.05 €12.51

-50.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$7.00 €6.23

12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.45 €1.29

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.64 €2.35

1.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.95

$3.59 €3.20

-7.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.80

$91.1 €81.1

-71.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.75

$4.18 €3.72

-26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.70 €2.40

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.27

$28.99 €25.81

13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.39 €2.13

-21.76%

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

$33.0K €29.4K

$40.5K €36.1K

-18.67%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$38.6K €34.4K

-17.28%

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

$183 €163

$261 €233

-29.98%

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

$14.24 €12.68

$22.37 €19.92

-36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.78

$50.8 €45.20

-31.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.79

$41.26 €36.74

24.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.59

$23.41 €20.84

-30.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.85

$15.29 €13.61

-27.67%

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

$944 €840

$2,578 €2,295

-63.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$8,039 €7,158

176.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.1

$91.8 €81.8

-4.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.52

$43.92 €39.10

-11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.1

$103 €91.5

1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$136 €121

-13.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,511

$1,441 €1,283

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$1,163 €1,036

14.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,397

$2,340 €2,084

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,849

$1,842 €1,640

12.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,371

$5,646 €5,027

26.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,522

$4,415 €3,931

15.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,996

$3,977 €3,541

-43.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

4.03

-20.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Purmerend: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Purmerend

$1.2K 46.9% 13% $174

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Purmerend

$334 13.5% 1.9% $6.3

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Purmerend

$286 11.5% 7.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Purmerend

$334 13.5% 44.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Purmerend

$169 6.8% 7.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Purmerend

$72 2.9% 2.3% $1.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Purmerend

$123 5% 150% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,441 in Purmerend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Purmerend pays 77% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $50 in Purmerend. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $334, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇳🇱 Purmerend

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

79,915

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Purmerend 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Purmerend

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 Purmerend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,441 in Purmerend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $2,578 in Purmerend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 72% less than in Purmerend. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Purmerend are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Purmerend on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.