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Barcelona

Catalonia, Spain

A coastal city with a large international population and a well-established startup scene. Housing is the tightest of any large Spanish city and short-term rental rules have been tightened.

Population
1,660,000
Climate
mediterranean
Typical download speed
200 Mbit/s

Indicative

One-bed, city centre
€1,200 – €1,900
One-bed, outside centre
€900 – €1,300
Monthly budget, one adult
€2,000 – €3,000

Getting around

Metro, tram and bus, with integrated zonal ticketing.

What people work in here

  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • Logistics
  • Life sciences

Cost of living

We do not hold a Barcelona cost series, so this is the Spain country-wide estimate. Use the rent figures above for the local picture.

Estimated monthly costs by category
CategoryMonthly range
Housing€750 – €1,400
Food€260 – €430
Utilities€100 – €190
Internet€30 – €55
Transport€40 – €110
Healthcare€50 – €150
Everything else€200 – €430
Total€1,430 – €2,765
Suggested monthly buffer€3,318
Estimate

Modelled from a baseline for one adult and scaled, not sampled from households. Figures are shown as ranges because that is the honest shape of the data.

Researched, not independently verifiedlow confidenceReviewed 20 September 2026

Worth knowing. A modelled estimate. The gap between Madrid or Barcelona and smaller inland cities is large.

Immigration

Immigration is decided nationally, not by city. Which routes are open to you, what they require and how long they take are all on the Spain guide.

See the routes into Spain

Researched, not independently verifiedlow confidenceReviewed 20 September 2026

Worth knowing. Modelled estimates, not survey data.

Reference dataset, compiled 20 September 2026. This is a compiled reference dataset. Every figure is drawn from official material and cited, but no record has been signed off by a named editor working through the review console, so nothing here is marked verified. Immigration rules change without notice and consulates apply them differently. Check the linked authority before you act on anything. This site is not legal advice.