Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tena Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $820 in Tena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,399 in Tena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,979 in Tena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 202% more expensive than in Tena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tena is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$5.54 $5.54

238.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$54.7 $54.7

27.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.78 $7.78

76.99%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.41 $3.41

-9.09%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$1.42 $1.42

99.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.14 $1.14

64.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.42 $3.42

16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$5.62 $5.62

-19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.11 $1.11

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.56 $1.56

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.50 $1.50

17.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$2.09 $2.09

145.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$6.36 $6.36

181.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$5.74 $5.74

68.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$7.60 $7.60

165.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.30 $2.30

41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.19 $1.19

87.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.28 $1.28

103.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.09 $1.09

153.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.25 $1.25

76.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.07 $1.07

98.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.87 $0.87

78.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$6.09 $6.09

20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$9.86 $9.86

-18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.53 $1.53

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.05 $3.05

-8.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.36 $0.36

763.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$20.17 $20.17

28.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.52 $1.52

115.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.76 $0.76

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$10.17 $10.17

236.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.86 $0.86

101.16%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$20.9K $20.9K

74.25%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$28.2K $28.2K

8.33%

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

$187 €163

$28.51 $28.51

556.19%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$17.85 $17.85

-15.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$28.35 $28.35

32.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$30.05 $30.05

86.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$14.81 $14.81

15.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$6.96 $6.96

63.94%

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

$997 €867

$215 $215

363.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,077 $9,077

82.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$63.3 $63.3

46.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$48.80 $48.80

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$114 $114

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$108 $108

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$300 $300

468.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$184 $184

597.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$685 $685

274.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$411 $411

372.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$1,094 $1,094

598.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$784 $784

559.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

10.12

-68.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Tena: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $300 in Tena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $55.0 in Tena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $196 per month, with Tena 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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tena differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $820 including rent). Tena 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 $1,229 in Tena 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 $300 in Tena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $215 in Tena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $820 in Tena versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tena 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 Tena 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 Tena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.