Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tripolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tripolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,319 in Tripolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,033 in Tripolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,747 in Tripolis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 77% more expensive than Tripolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tripolis is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$15.13 €13.04

12.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$57.9 €49.92

19.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.02 €8.63

37.52%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.01 €3.46

-31.17%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.83 €2.44

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.56 €0.48

255.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.19 €4.47

-15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$5.17 €4.45

-8.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.57 €1.35

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.46 €1.26

40.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.48 €2.14

-19.76%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$5.37 €4.63

-36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$13.60 €11.71

38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$9.57 €8.25

-2.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.13 €11.31

45.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.23 €1.92

21.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.87 €1.61

25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.48 €1.28

43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.04 €1.76

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.26 €1.09

56.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.20 €1.03

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.98 €0.84

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.80 €0.69

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$5.31 €4.57

27.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.12 €6.14

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.06 €1.78

-32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.08 €3.52

-41.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.59 €1.37

83.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$45.66 €39.34

-37.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.65 €4.01

-4.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$13.58 €11.70

117.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.12 €1.83

-14.15%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.9K €27.4K

21.88%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.1K €22.4K

27.06%

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

$189 €163

$212 €182

-10.54%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$23.51 €20.26

-3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$34.83 €30.01

7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$44.01 €37.92

31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$26.56 €22.88

-21.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$9.22 €7.94

17.35%

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

$728 €628

$429 €369

69.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,075 €5,234

143.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$88.3 €76.1

0.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$38.76 €33.40

-4.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$89.2 €76.9

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$109 €93.6

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$384 €331

308.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$275 €237

343.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$656 €565

326.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$466 €401

324.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,082 €2,655

151.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,531 €2,181

104.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,194 €1,028

96.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.43

-23.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tripolis: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $384 in Tripolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 96% 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 Tripolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $281 per month, with Tripolis 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 Tripolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tripolis differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,319 including rent). Tripolis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 96% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $384 in Tripolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $429 in Tripolis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,319 in Tripolis versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tripolis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tripolis 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 Tripolis 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 Tripolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.