Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Rome costs roughly 14% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$17.58 €15.14

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$68.4 €58.9

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$14.06 €12.10

-16.50%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$2.78 €2.39

-34.17%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.80 €2.41

-10.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.06 €1.78

-38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.46 €3.84

31.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.61 €3.97

13.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.24 €1.07

36.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.03 €1.75

5.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.92 €1.65

53.65%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.31 €2.85

36.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$18.43 €15.87

-5.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$9.49 €8.17

26.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$19.16 €16.49

5.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.64 €2.27

-7.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.45 €2.11

-8.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.12 €1.83

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.85 €2.45

-9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.04 €1.75

-13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.85 €1.59

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.47 €1.27

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.84 €0.73

-34.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$7.14 €6.15

-0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$7.88 €6.79

-41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.38 €1.19

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.31 €1.99

18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.98 €2.57

-39.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$29.26 €25.19

40.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$4.60 €3.96

11.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.07 €1.78

-22.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$29.18 €25.12

20.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.84 €1.58

5.98%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-24.85%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$32.7K €28.1K

-7.72%

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

$219 €189

$188 €162

16.82%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$22.93 €19.74

-51.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$36.71 €31.61

-14.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$57.4 €49.39

11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$20.70 €17.82

15.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$11.19 €9.64

4.83%

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

$528 €455

$721 €621

-26.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$15.0K €13.0K

-30.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$86.2 €74.2

-15.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$37.07 €31.92

-6.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$102 €87.8

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$116 €99.8

2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$1,534 €1,320

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$1,220 €1,051

-27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$2,696 €2,321

-1.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$2,013 €1,733

-18.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$7,220 €6,216

20.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$5,189 €4,467

-33.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$2,359 €2,031

-12.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.39

16.52%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 15% 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $318 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

Rome vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Barcelona differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,027 vs $2,367 including rent). Rome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 15% less. 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,027 in Rome versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rome 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, Rome 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.