Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sintra Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sintra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,644 in Sintra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,430 in Sintra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,215 in Sintra.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 42% more expensive than Sintra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Sintra 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$17.47 €15.05

-2.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$49.46 €42.61

39.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.46 €9.01

31.74%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.67 €1.44

65.27%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.72 €1.48

62.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.13 €0.97

76.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.32 €2.00

87.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.22 €2.77

47.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.07 €0.92

20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.23 €1.06

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.62 €1.39

22.84%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.98 €2.57

13.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.24 €7.96

103.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.69 €6.63

21.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.48 €11.61

41.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.02 €1.74

33.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.39 €1.19

68.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.80 €1.55

17.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.29 €1.98

24.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.03 €1.75

-2.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.92 €1.66

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.35 €1.16

7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.70 €0.60

22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.88 €5.07

15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$3.53 €3.04

123.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.26 €1.08

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.79 €1.54

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.29 €1.98

27.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$42.17 €36.34

-31.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.84 €3.31

16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.81 €0.70

153.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$16.93 €14.59

74.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.94 €1.67

-6.19%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$35.3K €30.4K

10.00%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$38.9K €33.5K

-14.84%

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

$189 €163

$147 €126

29.08%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$22.64 €19.51

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$42.45 €36.57

-11.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$43.79 €37.73

31.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.56 €7.38

26.40%

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

$728 €628

$422 €364

72.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$5,768 €4,970

156.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$99.7 €85.9

-11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$46.39 €39.97

-20.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$118 €102

-13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$72.7 €62.6

59.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$925 €797

69.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$740 €637

64.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,480 €1,275

88.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,145 €987

72.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,215 €2,770

141.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,388 €2,057

116.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,387 €1,195

68.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.39

-22.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sintra: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $925 in Sintra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% 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 $49.00 in Sintra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $226 per month, with Sintra 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 Sintra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sintra differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,644 including rent). Sintra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 69% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $925 in Sintra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $422 in Sintra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,644 in Sintra versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sintra but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sintra 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 Sintra 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 Sintra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.