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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,649 in Sintra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,404 in Sintra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,158 in Sintra.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Sintra 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.21 €11.52

41.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$57.6 €50.2

20.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.28 €8.09

48.38%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.31 €1.14

136.64%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.55 €1.35

82.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.26 €1.10

49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.57 €3.12

11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.95 €2.57

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.12 €0.98

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.26 €1.10

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.42 €1.23

23.94%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.69 €2.34

90.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.10 €7.93

96.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.25 €6.32

33.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.54 €10.06

74.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.90 €1.65

71.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.26 €1.10

76.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.46 €1.27

78.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.28 €1.99

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.31 €1.14

68.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.82 €1.59

16.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.71 €1.49

-9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.69 €0.61

37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.36 €5.55

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$3.37 €2.94

138.87%

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

$1.48 €1.29

88.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.33 €2.04

33.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$42.80 €37.31

-39.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.65 €3.18

-10.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.53 €0.46

179.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$17.07 €14.88

100.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.08 €1.82

-16.83%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.2K €29.8K

6.46%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$38.8K €33.8K

-21.30%

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

$187 €163

$132 €115

41.61%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$22.43 €19.55

-32.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$47.05 €41.02

-19.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$42.72 €37.24

30.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$16.35 €14.25

4.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$8.86 €7.72

28.78%

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

$997 €869

$647 €564

54.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,456 €5,627

156.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$79.1 €68.9

17.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$46.44 €40.48

-11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$109 €95.2

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$52.3 €45.59

139.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$992 €865

72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$782 €682

64.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,582 €1,379

62.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,203 €1,048

61.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,127 €2,726

144.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,366 €2,062

118.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,381 €1,204

70.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.54

-10.73%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sintra: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $992 in Sintra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 70% 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 $58.0 in Sintra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $212 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 50% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,649 including rent). Sintra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $992 in Sintra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $647 in Sintra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,649 in Sintra versus $2,476 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 50% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.