Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vilagarcia de Arousa

For one person, living is cheaper in Vilagarcia de Arousa: $1,121 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Vilagarcia de Arousa
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Vilagarcia de Arousa Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Vilagarcia de Arousa

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Vilagarcia de Arousa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Vilagarcia de Arousa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,121 in Vilagarcia de Arousa.

Barcelona $2,443
Vilagarcia de Arousa $1,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,664 in Vilagarcia de Arousa.

Barcelona $3,519
Vilagarcia de Arousa $1,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,206 in Vilagarcia de Arousa.

Barcelona $4,595
Vilagarcia de Arousa $2,206

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in Vilagarcia de Arousa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Vilagarcia de Arousa is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.71

$8.72 €7.76

102.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$37.72 €33.57

78.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.12

$9.19 €8.18

48.10%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$1.79 €1.59

73.18%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.46 €2.19

21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.58 €1.41

22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$2.39 €2.13

60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$3.38 €3.01

28.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.00 €0.89

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.32 €1.18

60.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.73 €1.54

13.87%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$3.05 €2.71

56.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$6.63 €5.90

157.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$7.20 €6.41

24.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.38

$8.33 €7.42

147.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.52 €2.24

25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.77 €2.46

-28.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.36 €2.10

12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$2.29 €2.04

25.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.07 €1.85

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.51 €2.23

-13.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.51 €1.34

1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.69 €0.62

40.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.20

$4.92 €4.38

41.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$4.37 €3.89

80.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.08 €0.96

31.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.01 €1.79

33.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.56 €1.39

112.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.79

$19.24 €17.12

33.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$4.78 €4.25

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.21 €1.08

22.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.25

$19.13 €17.03

71.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.74 €1.55

7.47%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$35.2K €31.3K

-6.32%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$31.0K €27.6K

3.13%

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

$183 €163

$151 €134

21.33%

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

$14.24 €12.67

$16.34 €14.54

-12.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.76

$30.37 €27.03

13.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.76

$28.00 €24.92

83.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.58

$15.32 €13.63

6.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.85

$8.31 €7.39

33.09%

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

$944 €840

$271 €241

247.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$9,678 €8,612

130.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$72.1 €64.2

21.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.51

$30.46 €27.10

27.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.0

$71.7 €63.8

45.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$132 €117

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,510

$540 €480

214.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$335 €298

299.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,396

$770 €685

249.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,848

$499 €444

315.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,367

$1,433 €1,275

399.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,520

$846 €753

500.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,995

$2,288 €2,036

-2.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.58

-10.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vilagarcia de Arousa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$335 29.9% 75% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$217 19.4% 33.8% $111

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$154 13.7% 42.4% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$197 17.6% 14.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$138 12.3% 12.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$45 4% 39.3% $29

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$36 3.2% 26.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $540 in Vilagarcia de Arousa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $38 in Vilagarcia de Arousa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $217 per month, with Vilagarcia de Arousa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇸 Vilagarcia de Arousa

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

37,689

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Vilagarcia de Arousa 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Vilagarcia de Arousa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,121 in Vilagarcia de Arousa, so Vilagarcia de Arousa is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $1,682 in Vilagarcia de Arousa 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: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $540 in Vilagarcia de Arousa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $271 in Vilagarcia de Arousa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Vilagarcia de Arousa is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Vilagarcia de Arousa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Vilagarcia de Arousa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.