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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,921 in Soest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,876 in Soest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,832 in Soest.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than in Soest, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Soest 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$13.90 €12.10

34.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$13.15 €11.44

4.71%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.01 €2.62

2.99%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$3.24 €2.82

-12.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.29 €2.00

-17.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.65 €3.17

9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.28 €1.98

98.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.37 €1.19

-7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.83 €1.59

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.72 €3.23

-52.69%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$3.55 €3.09

44.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$14.59 €12.69

22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$11.65 €10.14

-17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$19.85 €17.28

1.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.71 €2.36

19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.15 €1.87

3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.17 €1.89

19.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.35 €2.05

17.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.32 €1.15

67.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.23 €1.07

72.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.58 €1.37

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.05 €0.91

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$9.37 €8.16

-21.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$5.84 €5.08

37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.04 €0.90

48.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.52 €1.33

83.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$3.37 €2.94

-7.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$63.7 €55.4

-59.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.96 €3.45

-17.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.15 €2.74

-53.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$40.48 €35.23

-15.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$2.04 €1.78

-15.20%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.1K €29.7K

6.52%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$39.1K €34.0K

-21.87%

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

$187 €163

$315 €274

-40.63%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$17.39 €15.14

-12.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$45.66 €39.74

-17.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$28.77 €25.04

94.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$22.42 €19.51

-23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$14.97 €13.03

-23.78%

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

$997 €867

$484 €422

105.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$15.6K €13.6K

6.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$92.0 €80.1

0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$34.20 €29.77

20.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$122 €106

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$141 €123

-11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$1,176 €1,023

45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$675 €587

90.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$1,516 €1,319

69.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$1,144 €995

69.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$5,068 €4,411

50.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$3,791 €3,299

36.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.95

-20.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Soest: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,176 in Soest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Soest. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $315, with Soest cheaper for home cooking.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,921 including rent). Soest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $2,881 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,176 in Soest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $484 in Soest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,921 in Soest versus $2,476 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 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.