Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Sebastian Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Sebastian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,890 in San Sebastian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,781 in San Sebastian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,673 in San Sebastian.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than San Sebastian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, San Sebastian 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$16.67 €14.34

5.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$56.9 €48.91

20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.11 €8.70

39.07%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.15 €1.85

29.30%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.68 €2.31

4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.04 €1.76

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.40 €2.92

31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.37 €2.03

94.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.14 €0.98

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.06 €0.91

91.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.16 €1.86

-11.11%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.68 €2.30

23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$20.04 €17.24

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.73 €5.79

41.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.95 €12.86

28.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.88 €2.48

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.12 €1.82

15.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.95 €1.68

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.25 €2.80

-12.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.88 €1.62

8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.81 €1.56

2.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.01 €0.87

45.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.67 €0.57

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.24 €5.37

14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.96 €6.85

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.21 €1.04

14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.09 €1.80

10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.18 €1.88

36.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$37.04 €31.86

-21.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$7.35 €6.33

-37.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.95 €0.82

117.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$23.01 €19.79

26.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.75 €1.50

5.14%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.0K €33.5K

0.03%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$36.0K €31.0K

-9.16%

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

$188 €162

$136 €117

37.64%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$26.48 €22.77

-13.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$36.88 €31.73

-0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$54.4 €46.83

5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$20.20 €17.38

2.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.24 €7.95

21.10%

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

$721 €620

$469 €403

53.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$12.0K €10.3K

25.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$113 €97.5

-23.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$35.68 €30.70

3.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$88.1 €75.8

15.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$89.3 €76.8

29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,288 €1,108

19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$856 €737

42.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,106 €1,812

27.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,416 €1,218

42.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$10.1K €8,662

-28.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$4,554 €3,917

13.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,016 €2,594

-21.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Sebastian: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,288 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in San Sebastian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $279 per month, with San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and San Sebastian differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,890 including rent). San Sebastian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, San Sebastian earns 28% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,288 in San Sebastian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $469 in San Sebastian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,890 in San Sebastian versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Sebastian but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian 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.