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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,355 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,075 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,795 in Santarem.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than in Santarem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Santarem is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$12.76 €11.12

46.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$40.06 €34.92

73.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.41 €8.20

46.33%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.74 €1.52

78.16%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.80 €1.57

57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.19 €1.04

57.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.37 €2.07

67.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.42 €2.98

32.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.17 €1.02

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.44 €0.38

390.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.13 €0.99

55.75%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.57 €3.11

43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.47 €9.99

55.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.01 €6.11

37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.10 €12.29

42.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.95 €2.57

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.42 €1.24

57.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.56 €2.23

1.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.27 €1.98

21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.47 €1.28

50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.59 €1.39

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.18 €1.03

31.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.30 €0.26

216.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$5.82 €5.07

26.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.22 €5.42

29.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.31 €1.14

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.69 €3.21

-24.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.35 €2.05

32.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$58.2 €50.8

-55.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.68 €3.21

-11.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.12 €1.84

-18.40%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.7K €30.3K

4.80%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$39.1K €34.1K

-21.87%

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

$187 €163

$133 €116

40.29%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$21.42 €18.67

-29.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$58.7 €51.2

-35.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$38.09 €33.21

46.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.00 €6.11

63.00%

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

$997 €869

$445 €388

124.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$19.5K €17.0K

-15.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$80.1 €69.8

15.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$39.47 €34.41

4.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$111 €96.3

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$139 €121

-9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$670 €584

154.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$432 €377

197.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,072 €935

139.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$833 €726

133.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,207 €1,923

246.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,135 €990

355.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,090 €950

115.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.76

-33.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Santarem: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $670 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 116% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Santarem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $234 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,355 including rent). Santarem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 116% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $670 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $445 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,355 in Santarem versus $2,476 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 83% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.