Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Soest Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Soest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,005 in Soest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,052 in Soest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,099 in Soest.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 17% more expensive than Soest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Soest 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$13.74 €11.76

28.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$70.0 €59.9

-1.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$11.93 €10.21

15.26%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.44 €2.94

-19.77%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.40 €2.06

15.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.43 €2.08

-15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.71 €3.18

24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.29 €1.96

100.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.35 €1.16

-5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.83 €1.56

15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.21 €2.75

-38.63%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.72 €2.33

26.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$14.52 €12.43

29.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$14.61 €12.51

-35.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$17.55 €15.02

8.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.93 €2.51

-7.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.47 €1.25

61.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.25 €1.93

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.91 €4.20

-43.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.65 €1.41

19.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.64 €1.41

9.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.86 €1.59

-18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.12 €0.96

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$9.66 €8.27

-30.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.02 €5.16

25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.06 €0.90

35.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.70 €1.45

41.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$3.52 €3.01

-13.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$63.0 €53.9

-54.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$4.02 €3.44

10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.02 €1.73

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$40.46 €34.63

-27.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.09 €1.79

-9.57%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$31.0K €26.5K

25.09%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$38.6K €33.1K

-16.21%

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

$189 €161

$384 €329

-50.95%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$34.98 €29.94

-36.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$51.6 €44.13

-28.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$40.04 €34.28

44.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$22.89 €19.60

-8.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$17.69 €15.15

-37.54%

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

$726 €622

$459 €393

58.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,659 €8,268

57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$94.8 €81.1

-6.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$35.05 €30.00

5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$81.3 €69.6

26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$136 €117

-12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$838 €717

82.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$657 €562

85.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,560 €1,336

79.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,208 €1,034

67.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$4,646 €3,977

52.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$3,750 €3,210

29.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.97

-14.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Soest: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $838 in Soest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Soest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $332 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 Soest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Soest differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,005 including rent). Soest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $3,008 in Soest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $838 in Soest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $459 in Soest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,005 in Soest versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Soest but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Soest 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 Soest 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 Soest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.