Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rijeka Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rijeka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,603 in Rijeka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,369 in Rijeka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,135 in Rijeka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 45% more expensive than in Rijeka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Rijeka 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$12.91 €11.28

36.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$68.7 €60.1

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$10.41 €9.10

36.02%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.28 €1.99

22.81%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.53 €3.08

-20.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.18 €1.91

-5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$4.18 €3.65

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.23 €1.08

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.61 €1.41

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.99 €3.49

-50.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.53 €3.08

-1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$16.15 €14.11

13.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$10.75 €9.39

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$14.73 €12.87

29.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.67 €1.46

63.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.70 €1.49

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.71 €1.49

21.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.63 €2.30

4.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.18 €1.03

66.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.27 €1.11

40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.12 €0.98

32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.22 €1.07

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$5.89 €5.15

21.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$7.79 €6.81

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.60 €1.40

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.08 €1.82

14.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.94 €1.69

55.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$55.9 €48.86

-47.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$5.88 €5.14

-25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.31 €1.15

62.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$28.63 €25.02

3.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.77 €1.55

2.82%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$38.6K €33.8K

-1.94%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$25.9K €22.6K

25.19%

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

$189 €165

$184 €161

2.82%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$22.25 €19.44

0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$33.59 €29.35

10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$52.0 €45.42

11.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$15.08 €13.17

37.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$9.17 €8.01

18.54%

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

$706 €617

$285 €249

147.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$16.4K €14.3K

-9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$90.8 €79.3

-1.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$34.57 €30.20

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$101 €88.0

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$106 €92.6

12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$663 €579

138.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$535 €468

131.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$1,058 €924

156.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$776 €678

162.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$4,153 €3,628

81.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$3,977 €3,475

31.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$1,550 €1,354

52.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.63

-26.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $663 in Rijeka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 53% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Rijeka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $296 per month, with Rijeka 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 Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rijeka differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,603 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $663 in Rijeka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $285 in Rijeka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,603 in Rijeka versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rijeka but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rijeka 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 Rijeka 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 Rijeka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.