Cost of Living Comparison Between Lelystad and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lelystad and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,780 in Lelystad versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,755 in Lelystad versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,731 in Lelystad versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Lelystad costs roughly 28% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lelystad 29% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.93 €19.77

$18.42 €15.88

24.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 €74.0

$69.4 €59.8

23.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.09 €12.15

$14.05 €12.11

0.28%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$3.11 €2.68

36.66%

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

$2.71 €2.33

$2.96 €2.55

-8.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.10

$1.95 €1.69

24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €4.86

$3.99 €3.44

41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.93

$4.62 €3.98

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.32 €1.14

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.11 €1.82

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.83 €1.57

37.70%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.11

$5.16 €4.45

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 €6.18

$17.56 €15.14

-59.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.66 €12.64

$9.50 €8.19

54.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.24 €14.86

$19.93 €17.18

-13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$3.17 €2.73

-29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.21 €1.91

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$2.61 €2.25

-26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.08

$2.85 €2.46

25.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.17 €1.87

-16.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.11 €1.81

-14.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.62 €1.39

-20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$0.88 €0.76

-5.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 €8.85

$7.17 €6.18

43.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.05

$8.33 €7.18

-15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.50 €1.29

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.75 €2.37

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.9

$26.25 €22.63

341.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 €3.30

$3.22 €2.78

18.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.51 €1.30

84.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.34 €23.57

$35.26 €30.39

-22.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.75 €1.51

28.00%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$36.7K €31.6K

-6.68%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$31.7K €27.3K

26.83%

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

$248 €213

$187 €161

32.31%

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

$14.99 €12.92

$15.10 €13.01

-0.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.63 €28.99

$37.60 €32.41

-10.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.01 €38.80

$55.5 €47.83

-18.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 €11.97

$11.71 €10.09

18.62%

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

$2,850 €2,456

$1,011 €871

181.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,485 €7,314

$17.1K €14.7K

-50.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.6

$91.4 €78.8

9.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.22 €42.43

$41.00 €35.34

20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €84.7

$111 €95.3

-11.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$126 €109

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 €597

$1,704 €1,469

-59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 €395

$1,299 €1,120

-64.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 €1,194

$2,588 €2,231

-46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €715

$1,929 €1,663

-56.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 €2,130

$2,374 €2,046

4.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

3.16

1.58%

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

Last update for Lelystad: September 5, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Lelystad and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lelystad pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Lelystad vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $333, with Lelystad cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lelystad vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelystad and Barcelona differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,780 vs $2,482 including rent). Lelystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Lelystad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $693 in Lelystad versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,850 in Lelystad versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,780 in Lelystad versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lelystad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lelystad 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, Lelystad 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 Lelystad 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.