Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Schiedam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Schiedam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,448 in Schiedam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,541 in Schiedam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,634 in Schiedam.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 5% less than in Schiedam, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Schiedam 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$17.26 €15.12

2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$86.7 €76.0

-19.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$13.76 €12.05

2.91%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.37 €3.83

-35.93%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.41 €2.99

-17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.77 €2.43

-25.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$6.92 €6.06

-33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.71 €5.00

-17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.31 €1.15

-6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.20 €1.93

-7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.00 €2.63

-34.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.90 €4.29

-28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.94 €13.09

22.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$15.21 €13.32

-35.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$16.87 €14.78

13.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.33 €2.04

17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.44 €2.14

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.90 €1.67

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.64 €4.06

-40.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.99 €1.75

-1.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.96 €1.72

-8.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.19 €1.04

24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.78 €0.68

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$12.82 €11.23

-44.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.85 €5.13

34.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.42 €1.24

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.41 €2.11

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.34 €2.05

28.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$69.6 €61.0

-57.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.76 €4.16

-8.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.11 €1.85

0.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$34.15 €29.91

-13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.23 €1.95

-18.39%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$29.2K €25.6K

29.82%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$28.9K €25.3K

12.11%

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

$189 €166

$240 €210

-21.11%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$23.33 €20.43

-4.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$52.1 €45.65

-28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$23.34 €20.44

148.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.12 €20.25

-10.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$15.55 €13.62

-30.10%

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

$706 €618

$2,097 €1,837

-66.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$12.0K €10.5K

23.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$125 €109

-28.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$46.63 €40.84

-21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$114 €100

-9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$153 €134

-21.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,752 €1,534

-9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$1,184 €1,037

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$2,304 €2,018

17.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,748 €1,531

16.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$5,682 €4,977

32.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$4,131 €3,618

26.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,311 €2,024

2.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.99

-15.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Schiedam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,752 in Schiedam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2% 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 $87.0 in Schiedam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $343 per month, with Barcelona 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 Schiedam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Schiedam differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,448 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,752 in Schiedam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $2,097 in Schiedam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Schiedam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,448 in Schiedam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Schiedam. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Schiedam 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Schiedam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.