Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulm Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,393 in Ulm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,491 in Ulm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,590 in Ulm.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 1% less than in Ulm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Ulm 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.45 €15.03

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$68.3 €58.8

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$12.94 €11.14

8.66%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.80 €3.27

-26.84%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.75 €3.23

-25.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.64 €2.28

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.81 €4.14

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.67 €4.02

-1.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.23 €1.06

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.23 €1.92

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.53 €3.04

-45.61%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.03 €3.47

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.59 €12.56

26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$15.20 €13.09

-37.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$21.21 €18.27

-9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.23 €2.78

-18.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.88 €1.62

30.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.29 €1.97

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.39 €4.64

-47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.53 €1.32

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.62 €1.39

14.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.88 €1.62

-21.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.22 €1.05

-31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$9.88 €8.51

-27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.83 €5.02

35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.12 €0.96

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.73 €1.49

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.33 €2.87

-10.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$62.7 €54.0

-53.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.74 €3.22

22.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.02 €2.60

-31.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$27.39 €23.59

6.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.97 €1.70

-6.60%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$31.9K €27.5K

22.31%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$37.1K €31.9K

-11.81%

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

$188 €162

$388 €334

-51.64%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$41.64 €35.86

-44.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$55.6 €47.87

-33.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$36.84 €31.72

55.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$11.79 €10.16

75.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$13.92 €11.99

-19.61%

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

$721 €621

$464 €399

55.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.1K €11.3K

14.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$104 €89.2

-16.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$58.6 €50.5

-36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.1 €80.2

9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$141 €122

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,146 €987

33.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$957 €824

27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,965 €1,692

37.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,478 €1,273

36.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$6,088 €5,243

18.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$4,067 €3,502

27.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$4,151 €3,574

-43.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.99

-15.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ulm: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,146 in Ulm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulm pays 76% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Ulm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $363 per month, with Barcelona 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 Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ulm differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,393 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ulm earns 76% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,146 in Ulm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $464 in Ulm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,393 in Ulm, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Ulm. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Ulm 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ulm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.