Cost of Living Comparison Between San Sebastian and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between San Sebastian and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,832 in San Sebastian versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in San Sebastian versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,648 in San Sebastian versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in San Sebastian costs roughly 21% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Sebastian 37% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.47 €14.41

$17.66 €15.45

-6.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 €51.2

$69.7 €61.0

-16.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 €8.59

$14.16 €12.39

-30.65%

Cappuccino

$2.19 €1.92

$2.80 €2.45

-21.79%

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

$2.67 €2.33

$2.81 €2.46

-4.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.84

$2.06 €1.81

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.09

$4.60 €4.02

-23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.98

$4.69 €4.10

-51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.23 €1.08

-3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$2.03 €1.78

-48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.98 €1.73

5.56%

Eggs

$2.78 €2.43

$3.49 €3.05

-20.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.06 €17.55

$18.33 €16.04

9.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 €5.93

$9.83 €8.60

-31.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 €12.95

$19.13 €16.73

-22.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.73 €2.38

4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$2.38 €2.09

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.74

$2.08 €1.82

-4.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 €2.81

$2.75 €2.41

16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.96 €1.72

-8.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.79 €1.57

3.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.48 €1.29

-28.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.56

$0.91 €0.80

-29.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.63

$7.13 €6.24

-9.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.81

$7.88 €6.89

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.38 €1.21

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.39 €2.09

-8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.01 €2.63

-29.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.99 €32.37

$29.35 €25.68

26.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 €6.76

$4.36 €3.82

77.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 €0.82

$2.13 €1.86

-56.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.09 €20.20

$29.60 €25.90

-21.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.82 €1.59

-1.10%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$37.9K €33.1K

2.85%

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

$35.9K €31.4K

$32.4K €28.3K

10.79%

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

$137 €120

$189 €165

-27.33%

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

$27.02 €23.64

$22.29 €19.50

21.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.83 €31.34

$37.16 €32.51

-3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 €46.35

$58.0 €50.8

-8.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 €17.75

$20.66 €18.08

-1.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 €7.92

$10.87 €9.51

-16.74%

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

$455 €398

$706 €618

-35.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.3K

$14.9K €13.0K

-20.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €100

$89.4 €78.3

28.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.82 €31.34

$36.60 €32.02

-2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 €79.1

$104 €91.0

-13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 €78.7

$119 €104

-24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 €1,096

$1,579 €1,381

-20.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 €757

$1,238 €1,083

-30.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,864

$2,712 €2,373

-21.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 €1,236

$2,039 €1,784

-30.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,799 €8,573

$7,527 €6,585

30.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,366 €3,820

$5,239 €4,584

-16.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,952 €2,583

$2,364 €2,068

24.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.39

3.24%

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

Last update for San Sebastian: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,252 in San Sebastian and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in San Sebastian vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $320 per month, with San Sebastian 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

San Sebastian vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Sebastian and Barcelona differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,832 vs $2,320 including rent). San Sebastian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in San Sebastian, 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: $1,252 in San Sebastian versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $455 in San Sebastian 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 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,832 in San Sebastian versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Sebastian but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes San Sebastian 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, San Sebastian 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 San Sebastian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.