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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,112 in Welkom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,780 in Welkom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,449 in Welkom.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than in Welkom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Welkom is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$9.08 R 145

102.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$22.05 R 353

213.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.63 R 90.1

150.98%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$1.78 R 28.39

75.84%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.49 R 7.81

516.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.64 R 10.30

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.21 R 19.43

230.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$1.59 R 25.45

199.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.05 R 16.74

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.07 R 17.14

101.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.45 R 23.27

16.55%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.91 R 30.52

158.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$6.80 R 109

162.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$4.86 R 77.7

97.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$4.89 R 78.1

295.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.54 R 24.60

110.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.68 R 26.86

29.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.86 R 29.67

43.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.20 R 19.24

130.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.15 R 18.42

92.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.24 R 19.91

76.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.92 R 14.64

65.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.30 R 20.85

-29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.43 R 38.78

193.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$2.51 R 40.21

224.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.53 R 24.45

-1.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.83 R 29.30

51.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.89 R 14.24

253.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.30 R 4.78

983.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.84 R 13.36

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$14.80 R 237

135.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.49 R 23.86

17.45%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.9K R 574.2K

2.10%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$34.2K R 547.2K

-9.58%

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

$188 €161

$158 R 2,530

18.60%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$37.80 R 605

-59.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$38.61 R 617

-2.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$44.23 R 707

29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$7.42 R 119

56.06%

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

$1,003 €862

$268 R 4,283

274.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$7,960 R 127.3K

113.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$53.8 R 860

65.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$32.95 R 527

24.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$96.8 R 1,547

13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$84.8 R 1,357

44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$276 R 4,419

505.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$406 R 6,488

228.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$943 R 15.1K

175.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,075 R 17.2K

81.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.34

-72.13%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Welkom: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $276 in Welkom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Welkom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $167 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,112 including rent). Welkom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,668 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $276 in Welkom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $268 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 $22.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,112 in Welkom versus $2,495 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.