Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rumia Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rumia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,534 in Rumia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,182 in Rumia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,831 in Rumia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 62% more expensive than in Rumia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Rumia 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.83

$10.59 zł 39.23

73.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.6

$31.66 zł 117

119.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.07

$7.07 zł 26.20

98.73%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$3.85 zł 14.28

-19.22%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$2.17 zł 8.05

36.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.72 zł 6.36

13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$3.75 zł 13.89

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.95 zł 14.63

16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.04 zł 3.85

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.31 zł 4.86

61.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.43 zł 5.28

27.97%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$3.80 zł 14.07

35.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.09

$9.12 zł 33.81

92.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$6.60 zł 24.45

43.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.13

$12.29 zł 45.55

62.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.12 zł 4.16

183.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.76 zł 6.52

25.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.67 zł 6.18

56.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.73 zł 10.10

4.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.92 zł 3.40

135.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.05 zł 3.90

100.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.33 zł 4.93

21.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.09 zł 4.05

-19.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$5.50 zł 20.36

30.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$6.78 zł 25.13

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.17 zł 4.34

28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.36

$1.54 zł 5.70

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.35 zł 4.99

132.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.56

$33.30 zł 123

-21.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$2.19 zł 8.11

47.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.83 zł 3.06

81.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.30

$10.77 zł 39.89

227.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.73 zł 6.42

1.16%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$31.9K zł 118.1K

15.00%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$28.9K zł 107.0K

9.72%

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

$187 €161

$293 zł 1,086

-36.17%

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

$15.10 €12.97

$9.24 zł 34.24

63.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.31

$17.98 zł 66.6

109.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.68

$40.19 zł 149

38.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.38

$23.10 zł 85.6

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.06

$7.58 zł 28.09

54.49%

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

$1,011 €869

$353 zł 1,310

185.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$8,076 zł 29.9K

111.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.5

$86.3 zł 320

5.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.23

$42.57 zł 158

-3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.0

$94.4 zł 350

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$106 zł 392

19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,464

$644 zł 2,386

164.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$520 zł 1,926

150.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,224

$1,055 zł 3,909

145.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,658

$873 zł 3,236

120.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,644

$3,000 zł 11.1K

157.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,626

$2,331 zł 8,638

130.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,040

$1,537 zł 5,694

54.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.79

-53.46%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Rumia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $644 in Rumia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 54% 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 $32.00 in Rumia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $224 per month, with Rumia 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 Rumia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rumia differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,534 including rent). Rumia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $644 in Rumia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $353 in Rumia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,534 in Rumia versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rumia but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rumia 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 Rumia 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 Rumia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.