Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisse and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisse and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,611 in Lisse versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,725 in Lisse versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,839 in Lisse versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Lisse is roughly 13% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisse 95% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.05 €20.17

$17.66 €15.45

30.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 €81.6

$69.7 €61.0

33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.01 €12.26

$14.16 €12.39

-1.06%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.78

$2.80 €2.45

54.29%

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

$3.56 €3.11

$2.81 €2.46

26.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.51

$2.06 €1.81

39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 €6.17

$4.60 €4.02

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.93

$4.69 €4.10

20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.23 €1.08

24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 €2.18

$2.03 €1.78

22.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.98 €1.73

29.29%

Eggs

$5.12 €4.48

$3.49 €3.05

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 €12.52

$18.33 €16.04

-21.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 €12.59

$9.83 €8.60

46.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 €14.31

$19.13 €16.73

-14.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.73 €2.38

-12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$2.38 €2.09

4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.66

$2.08 €1.82

-8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 €4.11

$2.75 €2.41

70.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.96 €1.72

0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.79 €1.57

11.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.48 €1.29

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.91 €0.80

-1.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.06 €12.30

$7.13 €6.24

97.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €5.07

$7.88 €6.89

-26.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.38 €1.21

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.39 €2.09

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 €3.08

$3.01 €2.63

16.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 €82.6

$29.35 €25.68

221.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.15

$4.36 €3.82

8.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 €2.76

$2.13 €1.86

47.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.12 €29.85

$29.60 €25.90

15.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.82 €1.59

20.88%

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

$42.2K €36.9K

$37.9K €33.1K

11.30%

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

$34.1K €29.9K

$32.4K €28.3K

5.41%

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

$243 €213

$189 €165

28.76%

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

$21.55 €18.85

$22.29 €19.50

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.16 €40.38

$37.16 €32.51

24.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.81 €35.70

$58.0 €50.8

-29.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 €20.53

$20.66 €18.08

13.55%

Cinema Ticket

$16.55 €14.48

$10.87 €9.51

52.25%

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

$2,364 €2,068

$706 €618

234.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.4K

$14.9K €13.0K

-20.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 €87.2

$89.4 €78.3

11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.88 €41.89

$36.60 €32.02

30.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €103

$104 €91.0

13.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$119 €104

13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 €1,242

$1,579 €1,381

-10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,032

$1,238 €1,083

-4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 €1,998

$2,712 €2,373

-15.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 €1,501

$2,039 €1,784

-15.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,158 €4,513

$7,527 €6,585

-31.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,776 €4,179

$5,239 €4,584

-8.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

17.99%

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

Last update for Lisse: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,420 in Lisse and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Lisse vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona 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

Lisse vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisse and Barcelona differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,611 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,916 in Lisse and $3,480 in Barcelona 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: $1,420 in Lisse versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,364 in Lisse versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisse. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,611 in Lisse, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Lisse. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Lisse 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lisse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.