So you’ve decided to move to Barcelona, the city that really does have it all, but there's still one question on your mind... 'How expensive is it to live here?'
The overall cost of living in Barcelona is considered lower than many of the major cities in Europe. Generally, living costs in Barcelona are reasonable, though of course if you have a more lavish lifestyle, these will be considerably more. We’ve collected some useful information that can provide a reliable indication of the average costs of the day-to-day things that you will need to spend in the Catalan capital.
ACCOMMODATION
As the population in Barcelona is continuously on the rise, you may have noticed that so are the rental prices.
You can usually expect to pay from anything from €350-€650 a month for a room in a shared flat, depending on the size of the room and the location of the apartment. If you’re looking to rent your own studio or 1 bedroom flat, you can pay anything between €900-€1300 a month.
One way to find accommodation is through an agency. If you do decide to hire an agency to help you find a place to live, you can expect to pay another 1-2 month’s rent in agency fees. Although this may be the most expensive option, it’s definitely the safest when searching for your new home in Barcelona.
Bear in mind that no matter if you decide to search for accommodation yourself, or with the help of an agency, you’re always required to pay a deposit which will probably be around 1 month’s rent.
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BILLS
Electricity, gas and internet are all additional costs, as these are usually not included in the rent. One exception might be if you’re in student housing, where these are often all-inclusive, to make things easier for you.
Usually, utilities can vary from €50-€100+/month depending on whether you live alone or in shared accommodation. If this is the case, the more people you live with, the higher the energy use will be, but you’ll still spend a lot less than you would if you were living on your own.
Internet can cost anything from €35-45, or over €100 if you get superfast internet and TV. Again, things are cheaper if there are multiple people in the house. Be careful to read the small print! Providers in Barcelona are well-known for their exceptional deals (on the surface) which actually involve extra installation charges, or which triple in price after the first month. If you don’t know Spanish very well, have someone else check it over for you!
Leisure & Entertainment
Public Transport
Barcelona is extremely well-connected and has an excellent public transport system. There are many different types of tickets you can purchase, but the most common ones are the single ticket, a 10-journey ticket (T-casual) or a monthly ticket (T-usual), all of which work on the metro, trains, buses and trams. Below are the current prices:
- Single – €2.40
- T-casual (single zone)– €11.35
- T-usual (single zone) – €20
- Bicing (annual pass) – €50
Food & Groceries
Fortunately, there are plenty of options to do your grocery shopping in Barcelona. There are many reasonably priced supermarkets (Día, Lidl, Mercadona) and an abundance of markets and shops selling fresh fruit and vegetables. If you plan to cook at home and spend an average amount on groceries, you can expect to pay anything from €40-€65 a week. This is depending on whether you want to buy more expensive products and if you are shopping at more expensive supermarkets such as Carrefour or Veritas.
Eating out in Barcelona is cheaper than other major European cities (including its rival city Madrid); you can get a romantic dinner for two for under €60, or spend €12-15 on a burger and drink at a nice café. And even better, most restaurants in Barcelona offer the “menú del día” for lunch which will cost you no more than €15 or so.
Discounts in Barcelona
The beautiful city of Barcelona has endless activities, restaurants, nightclubs, and more fun things to do. At first, life and activities in Barcelona may seem relatively cheap compared to other cities. But, the costs may begin to add up and it can become more expensive than you thought. Barcelona Expat Life is offering discount codes from several companies to save you some money in your daily life. You can find the discount codes by clicking on the image below.
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