Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sparta Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sparta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,357 in Sparta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,011 in Sparta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,664 in Sparta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than in Sparta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Sparta is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$10.63 €9.16

73.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$48.83 €42.09

42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.57 €7.39

63.94%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.40 €2.93

-8.53%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.37 €2.04

24.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.60 €0.52

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$4.64 €4.00

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.71 €4.06

-1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.61 €1.39

-18.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.51 €1.30

39.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.48 €2.14

-26.21%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$5.27 €4.54

-2.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$12.02 €10.36

46.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$10.08 €8.69

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$14.79 €12.75

34.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.35 €2.02

34.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.22 €1.92

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.74 €1.50

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.97 €1.70

44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.16 €1.00

87.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.34 €1.16

57.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.93 €0.80

74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.91 €0.78

-3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$5.43 €4.68

32.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.90 €5.94

20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.76 €1.52

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.60 €3.11

-23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.36 €1.17

130.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$49.25 €42.46

-46.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$4.57 €3.94

-29.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.17 €1.01

29.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$13.00 €11.21

171.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.22 €1.92

-21.17%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$26.4K €22.7K

39.05%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$24.0K €20.7K

31.87%

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

$187 €161

$165 €142

13.49%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$23.27 €20.06

-35.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$29.58 €25.50

27.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$51.9 €44.77

6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$25.98 €22.40

-35.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$9.26 €7.98

26.46%

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

$1,011 €871

$247 €213

309.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$2,910 €2,508

486.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$71.2 €61.4

28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$36.10 €31.12

13.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$80.9 €69.7

36.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$92.1 €79.4

36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$508 €438

235.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$406 €350

220.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$773 €666

234.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$522 €450

269.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,855 €2,461

170.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,456 €2,117

119.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$980 €845

142.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.36

-27.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sparta: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $508 in Sparta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 142% 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 Sparta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $286 per month, with Sparta 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 Sparta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sparta differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,357 including rent). Sparta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 142% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $508 in Sparta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $247 in Sparta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,357 in Sparta versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sparta but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sparta 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 Sparta 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 Sparta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.