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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,933 in Sabadell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,666 in Sabadell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,398 in Sabadell.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 22% more expensive than Sabadell, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Sabadell 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$17.69 €15.05

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$58.8 €50.0

15.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$10.53 €8.96

32.57%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$2.43 €2.07

13.58%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.48 €2.11

11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.71 €1.46

15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.48 €2.96

30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.54 €3.02

27.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.21 €1.03

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.01 €1.71

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.68 €1.43

13.69%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$2.86 €2.43

18.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$14.12 €12.02

29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$9.43 €8.03

-0.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$19.05 €16.21

-0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.64 €2.25

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.39 €2.03

0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.64 €2.25

-19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$2.80 €2.39

-3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.45 €1.23

41.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.80 €1.53

-1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.55 €1.32

-5.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.71 €0.61

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$6.78 €5.77

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$5.96 €5.07

27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.12 €1.81

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.18 €1.85

34.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$27.55 €23.44

6.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.49 €2.97

29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.93 €0.79

130.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$23.47 €19.97

23.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.83 €1.56

3.28%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$38.0K €32.3K

2.85%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$29.7K €25.3K

9.12%

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

$189 €161

$150 €127

26.27%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$20.53 €17.47

8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$37.63 €32.02

-2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$34.17 €29.07

69.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$8.69 €7.40

145.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$9.18 €7.81

19.93%

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

$731 €622

$531 €452

37.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$8,572 €7,295

73.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$87.3 €74.3

2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$34.29 €29.18

9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$105 €89.4

-0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$99.2 €84.4

17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,028 €875

50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$918 €781

32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,456 €1,239

92.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,106 €941

81.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$3,697 €3,146

93.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,725 €2,319

84.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,234 €1,901

10.22%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Sabadell: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,028 in Sabadell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 10% 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 in Barcelona vs $59 in Sabadell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $295 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 22% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,933 including rent). Sabadell is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 10% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Sabadell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $531 in Sabadell. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,933 in Sabadell versus $2,356 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 22% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.