Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saku

For one person, living is cheaper in Saku: $1,108 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Saku
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Saku Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Saku

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Saku

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Saku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,108 in Saku.

Barcelona $2,443
Saku $1,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,724 in Saku.

Barcelona $3,519
Saku $1,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,339 in Saku.

Barcelona $4,595
Saku $2,339

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than in Saku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Saku is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.79

$16.43 €14.69

7.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$70.4 €62.9

-4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.17

$11.23 €10.04

21.19%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

$4.14 €3.70

-25.12%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$2.25 €2.01

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.32 €2.07

-16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.44

$6.66 €5.96

-42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.90

$6.51 €5.82

-33.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.09 €0.97

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$1.39 €1.24

52.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.38 €2.13

-17.23%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.26

$2.90 €2.59

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.26

$11.04 €9.88

54.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.01

$8.41 €7.52

6.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.46

$14.64 €13.09

41.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$2.14 €1.92

47.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.38 €1.23

42.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$2.49 €2.23

6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$3.01 €2.70

-4.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$0.82 €0.73

151.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.81 €0.72

169.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.85 €1.66

-17.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.01 €0.90

-3.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.23

$6.91 €6.18

0.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.05

$10.22 €9.14

-22.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.90 €1.69

-25.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$2.08 €1.86

29.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.90

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.76

$3.67 €3.28

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.03 €0.92

43.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.40

$26.04 €23.28

26.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.02 €1.80

-7.43%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$28.2K €25.2K

16.88%

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

$31.9K €28.6K

$29.3K €26.2K

9.13%

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

$183 €164

$312 €279

-41.35%

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

$14.24 €12.73

$17.17 €15.36

-17.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.91

$32.62 €29.17

5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.98

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.89

$11.65 €10.41

-5.06%

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

$944 €844

$469 €420

100.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$10.2K €9,106

118.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.4

$102 €90.8

-13.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.67

$48.12 €43.03

-19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$106 €94.6

-1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$119 €106

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,517

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,195

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,407

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,857

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,398

$4,012 €3,588

78.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,542

$2,648 €2,368

91.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,004

$1,764 €1,577

27.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.44

-7.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saku: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Saku

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Saku

$267 24.1% 18.6% $61

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Saku

$279 25.2% 4.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Saku

$362 32.6% 56.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Saku

$168 15.2% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Saku

$23 * 2.1% 68.3% $50

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Saku

$8.8 * 0.8% 82.1% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 27% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $70 in Saku. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $267, with Saku cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇪 Saku

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

4,548

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Saku 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Saku

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Saku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,108 in Saku, so Saku is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $469 in Saku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $70 in Saku. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Saku versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saku but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saku 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 Saku are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Saku wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.