Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Welkom Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Welkom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $963 in Welkom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,493 in Welkom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,022 in Welkom.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 146% more expensive than Welkom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Welkom is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$8.29 R 136

112.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$19.84 R 324

244.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.86 R 79.4

189.30%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.60 R 26.15

73.75%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.46 R 7.52

508.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.55 R 8.96

274.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.14 R 18.63

291.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$1.42 R 23.17

224.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.93 R 15.24

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.00 R 16.29

103.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.27 R 20.75

51.18%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.72 R 28.18

92.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$6.08 R 99.5

203.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.24 R 69.3

123.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$4.51 R 73.7

324.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.44 R 23.47

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.52 R 24.93

61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.59 R 25.94

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.10 R 17.95

159.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.15 R 18.85

77.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.13 R 18.49

63.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.86 R 14.10

70.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.12 R 18.27

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.27 R 37.14

214.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$2.40 R 39.22

228.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.44 R 23.53

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.63 R 26.65

41.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.62 R 26.44

83.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.43 R 23.32

221.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.39 R 22.67

48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$3.09 R 50.6

844.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.17 R 19.08

57.26%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.5K R 318.1K

100.51%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$26.1K R 426.7K

25.27%

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

$188 €162

$125 R 2,051

49.68%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$38.02 R 621

-39.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$37.99 R 621

-3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$31.12 R 509

84.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$7.49 R 122

49.40%

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

$721 €621

$200 R 3,261

261.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,319 R 70.6K

248.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.3 R 839

67.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$32.37 R 529

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$86.2 R 1,410

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$88.4 R 1,446

31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$365 R 5,966

320.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$330 R 5,389

270.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$697 R 11.4K

286.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$690 R 11.3K

191.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$983 R 16.1K

634.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$769 R 12.6K

574.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.69

-71.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Welkom: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $365 in Welkom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $20.00 in Welkom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $150 per month, with Welkom 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 Welkom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Welkom differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $963 including rent). Welkom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,445 in Welkom 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $365 in Welkom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $200 in Welkom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Welkom – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $963 in Welkom versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Welkom but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Welkom 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 Welkom 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 Welkom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.