Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rijswijk Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rijswijk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,717 in Rijswijk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,684 in Rijswijk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,650 in Rijswijk.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 8% less than in Rijswijk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Rijswijk 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$23.58 €20.27

-22.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$81.0 €69.6

-14.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$8.79 €7.55

60.75%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.74 €3.22

-16.31%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.58 €3.08

-15.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.15 €2.71

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$6.80 €5.85

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$6.02 €5.18

-20.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.40 €1.20

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.79 €1.53

20.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.08 €1.79

-18.75%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.13 €3.55

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$14.25 €12.25

25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$11.80 €10.15

-18.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$17.67 €15.19

9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.01 €1.73

61.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.08 €1.79

4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.09 €1.80

27.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.35 €2.02

17.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.27 €1.09

74.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.40 €1.20

56.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.21 €1.04

25.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.99 €0.85

-7.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$13.87 €11.93

-48.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$5.90 €5.07

37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.36 €1.17

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.83 €1.57

51.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$5.58 €4.80

-43.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$74.8 €64.3

-63.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$4.85 €4.17

-32.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.46 €2.98

-56.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$35.37 €30.40

-1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.55 €2.19

-31.37%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$43.4K €37.3K

-15.62%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$39.8K €34.3K

-22.36%

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

$188 €161

$293 €251

-35.86%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$20.43 €17.57

-24.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$51.3 €44.10

-26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$43.09 €37.04

32.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$14.08 €12.10

-17.76%

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

$1,003 €862

$2,475 €2,128

-59.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$12.2K €10.5K

39.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$99.0 €85.1

-9.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$45.35 €38.99

-9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$112 €96.1

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$145 €125

-15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$1,481 €1,273

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$1,350 €1,161

-1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,554 €1,336

66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,609 €1,384

21.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$3,881 €3,337

-38.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.4

-7.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rijswijk: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,481 in Rijswijk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijswijk pays 62% 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 $81.0 in Rijswijk. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $300, with Rijswijk 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 Rijswijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rijswijk differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,717 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Rijswijk. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,481 in Rijswijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $2,475 in Rijswijk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rijswijk pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Rijswijk 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Rijswijk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.