Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sabadell Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sabadell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,899 in Sabadell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,645 in Sabadell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,392 in Sabadell.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than Sabadell, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Sabadell 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.54 €15.10

0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$57.2 €49.28

19.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.46 €9.01

34.42%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.40 €2.06

15.83%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.44 €2.10

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.71 €1.48

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.52 €3.03

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.40 €2.93

35.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.27 €1.09

-2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.00 €1.72

1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.69 €1.45

13.61%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.86 €2.46

15.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.41 €12.40

27.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.04 €7.78

4.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$18.99 €16.35

0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.70 €2.33

-2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.35 €2.02

4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.56 €2.21

-17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.75 €2.37

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.44 €1.24

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.78 €1.53

3.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.54 €1.33

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.73 €0.63

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.83 €5.88

4.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.78 €4.98

36.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.43 €1.24

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.06 €1.78

12.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.08 €1.79

43.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$26.71 €23.00

9.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.64 €3.13

26.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.95 €0.82

117.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$23.64 €20.35

23.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.1K €33.6K

-0.10%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$30.6K €26.4K

6.79%

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

$188 €162

$151 €130

24.29%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$20.68 €17.80

10.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$38.10 €32.80

-3.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$35.13 €30.24

63.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$8.69 €7.48

138.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.23 €7.95

21.24%

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

$721 €621

$539 €464

33.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,711 €7,499

72.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$86.7 €74.6

-0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$35.28 €30.37

5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$104 €89.9

-2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$100 €86.5

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,059 €912

44.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$910 €783

34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,444 €1,243

86.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,112 €957

81.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,654 €3,146

97.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,729 €2,349

90.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,215 €1,907

6.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sabadell: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,059 in Sabadell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 7% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Sabadell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $294 per month, with Sabadell 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 Sabadell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sabadell differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,899 including rent). Sabadell is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 7% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,059 in Sabadell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $539 in Sabadell. 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 $1,899 in Sabadell versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sabadell but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sabadell 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 Sabadell 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 Sabadell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.