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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,624 in Rijeka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,498 in Rijeka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,373 in Rijeka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 54% more expensive than in Rijeka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Rijeka 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.86

$13.89 €11.98

32.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$74.2 €64.0

-6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$10.57 €9.12

33.68%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.34 €2.02

33.76%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$3.19 €2.75

-5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.00 €1.72

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$3.92 €3.38

2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$4.58 €3.95

3.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.23 €1.06

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.66 €1.43

30.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.54 €3.06

-52.26%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$3.86 €3.33

27.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.42

$16.83 €14.52

6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$10.43 €9.00

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.68

$14.69 €12.67

31.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.75 €1.51

85.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.80 €1.55

21.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.91 €1.64

39.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.66 €2.29

4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.43 €1.23

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.31 €1.13

67.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.36 €1.18

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.37 €1.18

-32.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$6.14 €5.30

15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$8.16 €7.04

-0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.65 €1.42

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.21 €1.91

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$2.29 €1.97

37.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

$56.7 €48.93

-52.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$5.76 €4.96

-43.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.48 €1.28

1.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

$29.41 €25.37

18.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.95 €1.68

-10.26%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$27.4K €23.6K

33.90%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$25.8K €22.3K

19.89%

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

$188 €162

$192 €166

-2.51%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$24.89 €21.46

-37.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.60

$40.70 €35.11

-7.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.32

$55.5 €47.89

2.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$11.44 €9.87

46.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$7.00 €6.04

65.43%

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

$1,003 €865

$558 €481

79.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$13.2K €11.4K

29.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$104 €89.6

-14.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.25

$42.90 €37.00

-4.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$105 €90.8

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$115 €98.9

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,443

$727 €627

129.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,148

$554 €478

140.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,239

$1,237 €1,067

109.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,682

$892 €770

118.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,532

$4,274 €3,686

77.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,632

$4,159 €3,587

29.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,072

$1,525 €1,315

57.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.73

-15.28%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $727 in Rijeka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 57% 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 $74.0 in Rijeka. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $303, with Rijeka cheaper for home cooking.

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 54% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,624 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $727 in Rijeka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $558 in Rijeka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,624 in Rijeka versus $2,495 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 54% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.