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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,832 in San Sebastian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,740 in San Sebastian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,648 in San Sebastian.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in San Sebastian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, San Sebastian 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$16.47 €14.43

7.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$58.5 €51.2

19.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.82 €8.60

44.20%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.19 €1.92

27.85%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.67 €2.34

5.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.10 €1.84

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.54 €3.10

29.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.26 €1.98

107.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.19 €1.05

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.05 €0.92

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.09 €1.83

-5.26%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.78 €2.43

25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$20.06 €17.57

-8.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.78 €5.94

44.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$14.80 €12.97

29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.84 €2.49

-3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.17 €1.90

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.98 €1.74

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.21 €2.81

-14.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.80 €1.58

8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.85 €1.62

-3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.06 €0.93

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.64 €0.56

42.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.43 €5.63

10.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.78 €6.81

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.24 €1.09

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.18 €1.91

9.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.12 €1.85

41.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$36.99 €32.40

-20.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$7.72 €6.76

-43.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.93 €0.82

129.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$23.09 €20.22

28.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.80 €1.57

1.11%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$39.0K €34.1K

-2.77%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$35.9K €31.4K

-9.74%

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

$189 €166

$137 €120

37.61%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.02 €23.67

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$35.83 €31.38

3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$53.0 €46.40

9.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$20.29 €17.77

1.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$9.05 €7.93

20.11%

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

$706 €618

$455 €399

55.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.8K €10.3K

25.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$115 €100

-21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$35.82 €31.37

2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$90.4 €79.2

15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$89.9 €78.7

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,252 €1,097

26.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$865 €757

43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$2,131 €1,866

27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,413 €1,237

44.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$9,799 €8,582

-23.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$4,366 €3,824

19.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,952 €2,585

-19.92%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Sebastian: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,252 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $59.0 in San Sebastian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,832 including rent). San Sebastian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in San Sebastian. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,252 in San Sebastian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $455 in San Sebastian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,832 in San Sebastian versus $2,320 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 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.