Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bologna and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Bologna: $2,168 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

105

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
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Bologna Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,168

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bologna and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,168 in Bologna versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Bologna $2,168
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Bologna versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Bologna $3,357
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,546 in Bologna versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Bologna $4,546
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Bologna costs roughly 10% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bologna 61% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.66 €20.16

$17.94 €15.96

26.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 €78.1

$68.1 €60.5

29.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 €11.98

$13.28 €11.81

1.36%

Cappuccino

$2.24 €1.99

$3.25 €2.89

-31.08%

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

$3.52 €3.13

$3.01 €2.67

16.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.87 €1.66

-3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 €5.94

$3.85 €3.42

73.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.01

$4.48 €3.98

25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.29 €1.15

8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.04 €1.81

46.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 €2.57

$1.72 €1.53

68.02%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.57

$4.77 €4.24

-15.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.41 €18.15

$16.77 €14.92

21.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.88

$8.93 €7.94

37.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.03 €18.70

$19.88 €17.68

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.98 €2.65

-16.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$2.03 €1.80

18.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.73 €2.43

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$2.68 €2.38

23.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.10 €1.87

-10.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.08 €1.85

-17.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.45 €1.29

-6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.50

$0.89 €0.79

-37.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €6.12

$6.94 €6.17

-0.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €7.08

$7.78 €6.92

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.45 €1.29

31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.57 €2.29

10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.99 €2.66

-12.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.76 €38.03

$25.20 €22.41

69.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 €4.13

$3.12 €2.77

48.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.44 €1.28

14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.98 €28.45

$33.50 €29.80

-4.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.79 €1.59

19.55%

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

$36.8K €32.8K

$34.6K €30.8K

6.38%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$30.1K €26.7K

21.12%

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

$249 €221

$178 €158

39.72%

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

$11.10 €9.88

$13.32 €11.85

-16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.22 €27.77

$34.88 €31.03

-10.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 €56.1

$53.3 €47.37

18.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.63 €23.69

$16.01 €14.24

66.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 €8.78

$11.06 €9.84

-10.76%

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

$768 €683

$957 €851

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$16.6K €14.7K

-0.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.1

$88.2 €78.4

5.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 €41.08

$39.49 €35.12

16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$103 €91.5

19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €129

$121 €108

19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 €1,015

$1,653 €1,470

-30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €771

$1,302 €1,158

-33.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 €1,851

$2,557 €2,275

-18.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 €1,400

$1,915 €1,703

-17.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,130 €4,563

$7,286 €6,481

-29.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,737 €3,324

$5,080 €4,519

-26.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,103 €1,870

$2,281 €2,029

-7.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.28

-2.74%

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

Last update for Bologna: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bologna

$867 40%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 50.2% $435

Groceries & Markets

Bologna

$363 16.7%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 11.8% $43

Eating Out

Bologna

$314 14.5%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 14.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bologna

$291 13.4%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 22.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Bologna

$183 8.5%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 13.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Bologna

$83 3.8%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 9% $7.4

Getting Around

Bologna

$66 3.1%

Barcelona

$47 2% 28.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Bologna and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 8% 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: $88.0 in Bologna vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Bologna

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

Same time as Bologna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,663

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bologna Barcelona 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bologna
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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

Bologna vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bologna and Barcelona differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,168 vs $2,399 including rent). Bologna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,141 in Bologna versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $768 in Bologna versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,168 in Bologna versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bologna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bologna 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, Bologna and Barcelona 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 Bologna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.