Cost of Living Comparison Between Siena and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Siena and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,926 in Siena versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,885 in Siena versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,844 in Siena versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Siena costs roughly 19% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Siena 44% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.01

$17.58 €15.12

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 €68.8

$68.4 €58.9

16.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €9.80

$14.06 €12.09

-18.92%

Cappuccino

$1.97 €1.69

$2.78 €2.39

-29.14%

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

$3.05 €2.62

$2.80 €2.41

8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.06 €1.78

-33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.94

$4.46 €3.84

28.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$4.61 €3.96

22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.24 €1.07

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.03 €1.74

18.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.92 €1.65

14.06%

Eggs

$4.33 €3.72

$3.31 €2.85

30.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.35

$18.43 €15.85

-22.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.97 €11.16

$9.49 €8.16

36.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.05 €18.97

$19.16 €16.48

15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.64 €2.27

3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.45 €2.11

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 €3.12

$2.12 €1.82

70.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 €3.12

$2.85 €2.45

27.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.04 €1.75

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.85 €1.59

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.47 €1.26

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$0.84 €0.73

-26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 €6.09

$7.14 €6.14

-0.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €5.92

$7.88 €6.78

-12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.38 €1.19

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.31 €1.99

13.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.98 €2.56

-33.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.93 €35.21

$29.26 €25.17

39.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 €5.80

$4.60 €3.95

46.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.07 €1.78

2.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.90 €28.30

$29.18 €25.10

12.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.84 €1.58

13.04%

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

$27.4K €23.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-29.83%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$32.7K €28.1K

12.30%

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

$267 €230

$188 €162

42.25%

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

$12.76 €10.97

$22.93 €19.73

-44.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.63

$36.71 €31.58

-15.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 €68.4

$57.4 €49.35

38.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.50 €20.22

$20.70 €17.80

13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.82

$11.19 €9.63

-18.68%

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

$117 €101

$721 €620

-83.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,762

$15.0K €12.9K

-24.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €79.0

$86.2 €74.2

6.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.14 €32.81

$37.07 €31.89

2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €78.5

$102 €87.8

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$116 €99.7

9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 €924

$1,534 €1,319

-30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 €614

$1,220 €1,050

-41.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 €1,482

$2,696 €2,319

-36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 €929

$2,013 €1,732

-46.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 €4,034

$7,220 €6,211

-35.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,051 €3,485

$5,189 €4,463

-21.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,681

$2,359 €2,029

-17.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

3.39

25.07%

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

Last update for Siena: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,074 in Siena and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 21% 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: $80.0 in Siena vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 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

Siena vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siena and Barcelona differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,926 vs $2,367 including rent). Siena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 21% 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: $1,074 in Siena versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $117 in Siena 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 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,926 in Siena versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Siena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Siena 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, Siena 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 Siena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.