Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Secunda Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Secunda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $889 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,328 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,767 in Secunda.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 165% more expensive than in Secunda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Secunda is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.48 R 90.3

212.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$28.40 R 468

139.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.65 R 76.6

193.33%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.03 R 33.40

36.95%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.80 R 13.13

252.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.47 R 7.75

317.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.02 R 16.82

334.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.20 R 19.68

284.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.25 R 20.59

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.99 R 16.22

115.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.63 R 26.82

22.09%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.40 R 39.59

40.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.68 R 126

146.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.63 R 76.2

105.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$6.53 R 107

186.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.64 R 26.96

61.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.56 R 25.61

50.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.59 R 26.25

31.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.64 R 27.01

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.36 R 22.46

44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.16 R 19.05

56.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.10 R 18.09

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.17 R 19.19

-23.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.79 R 45.87

143.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.94 R 81.3

60.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.52 R 24.97

-9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.81 R 29.72

32.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.62 R 26.61

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.44 R 23.67

218.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.33 R 21.91

53.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.17 R 52.1

805.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.26 R 20.79

44.44%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$19.2K R 315.8K

104.96%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$26.4K R 434.0K

23.17%

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

$187 €162

$84.0 R 1,382

122.28%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$37.56 R 618

-40.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$37.63 R 619

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$16.86 R 278

241.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$11.04 R 182

87.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.64 R 109

62.20%

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

$725 €628

$169 R 2,787

328.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,279 R 70.4K

254.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$50.6 R 834

73.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$32.47 R 535

13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$88.6 R 1,459

16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$89.2 R 1,469

32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$334 R 5,504

355.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$311 R 5,114

294.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$695 R 11.4K

292.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$480 R 7,907

313.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$942 R 15.5K

693.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$640 R 10.5K

719.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,430 R 23.5K

67.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.69

-71.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Secunda: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $334 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 67% 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 $28.00 in Secunda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $182 per month, with Secunda 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 Secunda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Secunda differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $889 including rent). Secunda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $334 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $169 in Secunda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Secunda – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $889 in Secunda versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Secunda but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Secunda 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 Secunda 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 Secunda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.