Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tukums Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tukums

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,284 in Tukums.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,860 in Tukums.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,435 in Tukums.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 82% more expensive than Tukums, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Tukums is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.81 €4.97

203.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$23.48 €20.09

192.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.42 €8.07

45.97%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.46 €2.96

-20.23%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.78 €1.52

56.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.35 €1.16

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$5.86 €5.02

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.94 €5.08

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.13 €0.97

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.68 €1.44

25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.92 €2.50

-32.53%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.10 €1.80

63.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.99 €7.70

109.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.05 €6.03

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.73 €10.04

62.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.66 €1.42

63.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.85 €1.58

28.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.54 €2.17

-18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.56 €3.04

-22.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.66 €0.56

198.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.07 €0.91

67.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.73 €1.48

-12.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.60 €0.52

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.71 €4.89

18.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.05 €6.89

-6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.22 €1.05

18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.28 €1.95

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.94 €0.80

222.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$35.77 €30.62

-20.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.94 €2.51

50.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.86 €0.73

138.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$14.04 €12.02

108.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.85 €1.58

2.16%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$30.8K €26.4K

25.62%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$31.8K €27.3K

1.64%

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

$189 €161

$296 €253

-36.22%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$17.12 €14.65

29.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$20.64 €17.67

78.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$51.7 €44.27

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$11.73 €10.04

-5.80%

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

$726 €622

$538 €460

35.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$15.7K €13.4K

-2.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$90.4 €77.4

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$46.64 €39.93

-20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$81.3 €69.6

26.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$137 €117

-12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$231 €197

561.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$254 €218

378.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$742 €635

276.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$458 €392

342.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,491 €1,276

375.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,001 €856

384.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$577 €494

316.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.63

-26.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tukums: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $231 in Tukums. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 316% 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 $23.00 in Tukums for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $238 per month, with Tukums 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 Tukums: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tukums differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,284 including rent). Tukums is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 316% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $231 in Tukums. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $538 in Tukums. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,284 in Tukums versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tukums but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tukums 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 Tukums 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 Tukums gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.