Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gijon and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Gijon: $1,731 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gijon
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,731
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gijon 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 Gijon and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Gijon versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Gijon $1,731
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Gijon versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Gijon $2,543
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,355 in Gijon versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Gijon $3,355
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Gijon costs roughly 28% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gijon 28% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.82
$17.94 €15.96
-7.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 €59.5
$68.1 €60.5
-1.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.58 €13.86
$13.28 €11.81
17.32%
Cappuccino
$2.55 €2.27
$3.25 €2.89
-21.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 €2.60
$3.01 €2.67
-2.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.87 €1.66
25.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.89 €3.46
$3.85 €3.42
1.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.87 €5.22
$4.48 €3.98
31.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.29 €1.15
-6.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.04 €1.81
-9.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.72 €1.53
-20.35%
Eggs
$4.40 €3.91
$4.77 €4.24
-7.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.23 €10.88
$16.77 €14.92
-27.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.75 €6.89
$8.93 €7.94
-13.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 €12.19
$19.88 €17.68
-31.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 €2.94
$2.98 €2.65
11.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.03 €1.80
-28.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.68 €1.49
$2.73 €2.43
-38.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 €2.85
$2.68 €2.38
19.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.10 €1.87
7.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.96
$2.08 €1.85
6.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.45 €1.29
-11.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.78
$0.89 €0.79
-1.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.64 €5.90
$6.94 €6.17
-4.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.23 €9.10
$7.78 €6.92
31.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.45 €1.29
-8.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.57 €2.29
-33.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.42 €1.26
$2.99 €2.66
-52.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.40 €29.71
$25.20 €22.41
32.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.46 €4.85
$3.12 €2.77
75.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.44 €1.28
-9.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.03 €25.83
$33.50 €29.80
-13.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.79 €1.59
-1.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K €33.5K
$34.6K €30.8K
8.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.1K €25.9K
$30.1K €26.7K
-3.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 €131
$178 €158
-17.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.99 €16.00
$13.32 €11.85
35.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.12 €20.57
$34.88 €31.03
-33.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 €46.29
$53.3 €47.37
-2.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.38 €8.34
$16.01 €14.24
-41.41%
Cinema Ticket
$9.18 €8.16
$11.06 €9.84
-17.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 €423
$957 €851
-50.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,025
$16.6K €14.7K
-38.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.3 €83.0
$88.2 €78.4
5.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.34 €27.88
$39.49 €35.12
-20.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 €95.6
$103 €91.5
4.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 €105
$121 €108
-3.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$870 €774
$1,653 €1,470
-47.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 €645
$1,302 €1,158
-44.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,374 €1,222
$2,557 €2,275
-46.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,037 €922
$1,915 €1,703
-45.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,583 €3,187
$7,286 €6,481
-50.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,116 €1,882
$5,080 €4,519
-58.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gijon
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,868 €1,662
$2,281 €2,029
-18.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.43
3.28
4.57%

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

Last update for Gijon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gijon
$725
Barcelona
$1.3K 79.5% $576
Groceries & Markets
Gijon
$275
Barcelona
$320 16.2% $45
Eating Out
Gijon
$263
Barcelona
$270 2.7% $7.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gijon
$188
Barcelona
$226 20.1% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Gijon
$157
Barcelona
$158 0.7% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Gijon
$70
Barcelona
$75 7.1% $5
Getting Around
Gijon
$51
Barcelona
$47 7.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $870 in Gijon and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 22% 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: $67.0 in Gijon vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $320 per month, with Gijon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Gijon
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
04:03 4:03 AM
04:03 4:03 AM
Same time as Gijon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
268,313
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gijon Barcelona 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Gijon
  • Barcelona

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
Gijon vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Gijon and in Barcelona?
Gijon and Barcelona differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,731 vs $2,399 including rent). Gijon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 22% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Gijon and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $870 in Gijon versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Gijon and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $476 in Gijon versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,731 in Gijon versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gijon but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gijon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Gijon and Barcelona?
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.
Is Gijon or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Gijon 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.
Where should expats move: Gijon or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Gijon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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