Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Santarem Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Santarem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,575 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,069 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,563 in Santarem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 50% more expensive than Santarem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Santarem 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$13.91 €11.97

26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$39.99 €34.40

71.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.66 €7.45

62.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.65 €1.42

68.48%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.31 €1.12

113.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.38 €1.18

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.34 €2.02

90.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.41 €2.93

35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.08 €0.93

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.47 €0.41

331.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.17 €1.01

64.10%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.06 €2.63

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.04 €9.50

66.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.52 €6.47

26.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.81 €11.88

38.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.60 €2.24

1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.37 €1.18

78.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.23 €1.92

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.35 €2.02

21.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.48 €1.27

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.66 €1.43

11.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.88 €0.76

67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.30 €0.25

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.79 €4.98

23.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.00 €5.16

31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.28 €1.10

7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.83 €3.30

-39.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.26 €1.94

31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$42.55 €36.60

-31.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.67 €3.15

25.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.39 €1.19

48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$17.62 €15.15

65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.99 €1.72

-7.54%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.8K €30.0K

12.03%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$39.8K €34.2K

-17.76%

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

$188 €162

$84.5 €72.7

122.40%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$21.79 €18.75

5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$49.45 €42.54

-25.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$38.87 €33.44

47.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.88 €5.92

62.65%

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

$721 €620

$442 €381

62.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,434 €7,255

78.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$85.1 €73.2

1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$39.38 €33.87

-5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$99.3 €85.4

2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$92.1 €79.2

25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$910 €783

68.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$728 €626

67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,457 €1,253

85.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$689 €593

191.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,267 €1,950

218.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,183 €1,018

338.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,089 €937

116.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.32

-36.28%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santarem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $910 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 117% 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 $40.00 in Santarem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $227 per month, with Santarem 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 Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Santarem differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,575 including rent). Santarem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 117% 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 $910 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $442 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,575 in Santarem versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santarem but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Santarem 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 Santarem 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 Santarem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.