Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaragoza and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaragoza and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Zaragoza versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,033 in Zaragoza versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Zaragoza versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Zaragoza costs roughly 73% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zaragoza is 53% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 $8.03

$17.66 €15.45

-54.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$69.7 €61.0

-57.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 $6.85

$14.16 €12.39

-51.62%

Cappuccino

$1.52 $1.52

$2.80 €2.45

-45.71%

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

$1.09 $1.09

$2.81 €2.46

-61.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.06 €1.81

-55.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 $1.22

$4.60 €4.02

-73.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$4.69 €4.10

-55.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.23 €1.08

47.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.03 €1.78

1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.98 €1.73

-48.99%

Eggs

$2.44 $2.44

$3.49 €3.05

-30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$18.33 €16.04

-61.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$9.83 €8.60

-59.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$19.13 €16.73

-70.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.73 €2.38

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.38 €2.09

-29.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.08 €1.82

24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.75 €2.41

-18.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.96 €1.72

14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.79 €1.57

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.48 €1.29

-36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.91 €0.80

-20.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 $3.77

$7.13 €6.24

-47.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.88 €6.89

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.38 €1.21

12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.39 €2.09

-5.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 $0.56

$3.01 €2.63

-81.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 $5.02

$4.36 €3.82

15.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.13 €1.86

43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.60 $19.60

$29.60 €25.90

-33.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.82 €1.59

-42.31%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$37.9K €33.1K

-32.76%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$32.4K €28.3K

-23.28%

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

$44.68 $44.68

$189 €165

-76.36%

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

$19.15 $19.15

$22.29 €19.50

-14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.98 $34.98

$37.16 €32.51

-5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 $34.90

$58.0 €50.8

-39.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 $5.13

$10.87 €9.51

-52.81%

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

$147 $147

$706 €618

-79.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,830 $5,830

$14.9K €13.0K

-60.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 $66.3

$89.4 €78.3

-25.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 $42.87

$36.60 €32.02

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$104 €91.0

5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 $70.3

$119 €104

-41.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.58

3.39

153.10%

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

Last update for Zaragoza: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Zaragoza vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $320 per month, with Zaragoza 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

Zaragoza vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza and Barcelona differ by about 272% in total monthly costs ($623 vs $2,320 including rent). Zaragoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $935 in Zaragoza 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.

Childcare runs $147 in Zaragoza versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Zaragoza versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza 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, Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 272% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.