Barcelona is a beloved city for many, with its great streets, its monuments and its hidden corners. Living or traveling to Barcelona is a beautiful dream, but is the cost of living in Barcelona expensive? Well, in ForBarcelonaLovers we will tell you everything we know about the prices in Barcelona. Oh, and don't worry, you'll see that studying, living, working or living in Barcelona is more affordable than many people think. Let's get to it!
Barcelona is a beloved city for many, with its great streets, its monuments and its hidden corners. Living or traveling to Barcelona is a beautiful dream, but is the cost of living in Barcelona expensive? Well, in ForBarcelonaLovers we will tell you everything we know about the prices in Barcelona. Oh, and don't worry, you'll see that studying, living, working or living in Barcelona is more affordable than many people think. Let's get to it!
The cost of living in Barcelona
Establishing a fixed cost of living in Barcelona is not possible, and if we did, it would not be concise. That's because it depends on many factors, mainly on yourself. Why? It's easy. Everyone has their own priorities. Maybe someone prefers to pay more rent and not spend so much on food and you prefer to live in a cheap flat but eat well. Obviously the cost of living between you and the other person would be different. However, in ForBarcelonaLovers we have created a reference guide with some prices and costs that we know so that you can make your own budget.
Cost of rentals in Barcelona
Are you thinking of moving to Barcelona and becoming independent? It's a great idea! Barcelona is a great city, perfect for meeting people, changing your life and starting a new life. Despite all the good things, it is true that becoming independent is expensive. You should be prepared for the rent to take part of your monthly budget.
But don't panic, don't panic! If there is one good thing about renting in Barcelona is that there are many, so there is a wide range of prices to compare. That's why we recommend that you don't go in a hurry. Ideally, you should arrive in Barcelona with nothing decided. Instead, go to a hostel for the first few days. This way, you will be able to better evaluate the neighborhoods of the city, prices and proximity to your places of interest.
The price of a night in a hostel can vary between 10 and 19 euros, depending on the time of the year, how far in advance or if it is a weekend.
If you have been looking for a flat for a long time and you can't find anything that fits your budget, we have a solution for you: Share a flat. In Barcelona is very typical, since rents are high and many young people can not afford it.
Price of shared flats in Barcelona
When the rents in Barcelona skyrocketed, many people went to share flats. Thus, the monthly rent was divided among the inhabitants of the flat and it was much cheaper. This is the option most chosen by students and young people, since their incomes are usually minor.
The price of a room in a shared flat is usually around 300 to 500 euros per month. This is with all expenses included, although you should consult in each case. In addition, in general, you will be asked for a month's deposit which, if you don't break anything, will be returned to you when you leave.
Price of public transport in Barcelona
In Barcelona there is always something to see. In every corner there is something hidden. That's why, if you are in this city, you can't stay at home. You must go out, move around and discover its corners. There is no cheaper transport than your own feet. That's right, your feet. The best way to discover Barcelona is walking, with music and energy.
If you don't like walking or you prefer another type of transport,we recommend Bicing. It is the cheapest transport and it is the public bicycle service in Barcelona. It has 424 stations spread throughout the city and a network of exclusive lanes of more than 200 kilometers. It costs 50 euros a year and every time you take a bike you can use it for 30 minutes.
If you don't like cycling either, or if you're simply too lazy, don't worry. Barcelona has a very good public transport service. The city is divided into six zones depending on where you need to get around. If you limit yourself to Zone 1, where almost all the city's points of interest are located, for 11.35 euros you can buy a 10-trip ticket, not counting transfers, in less than 75 minutes. Crazy, huh?
Food prices in Barcelona
Just as important, if not more important, than having a home is being able to eat well. The estimated figure for the cost of food in Barcelona is 100 euros per month. This figure is very relative, as it depends a lot on the consumption of each person. Here is a guide to the estimated prices of basic foodstuffs in the supermarket in Barcelona:
- Milk: 0,56 €/litre.
- Sliced bread: 1,16 €/kg.
- Minced beef: 5,30 €/kg.
- Whole chicken: 2,49 €/kg.
- Rice: 0,79 €/kg.
- Noodles: 1 €/500 gr.
- Eggs: 0,95 €/6 units.
- Classic soluble coffee (first brand): 5,25 €/200 grams.
- Banana: 0,89 €/kg.
In Spain, and therefore in Barcelona, it is very important to choose the cheapest supermarket. Prices can vary a lot from one place to another. Therefore, from ForBarcelonaLovers we recommend you to compare prices and quality of products whenever you can.
Eating out in Barcelona
If you want to treat yourself and eat out, Barcelona is the perfect city. There are endless options of restaurants, fast foods, brunches, etc.. What better pleasure than eating?
You're probably wondering if it's expensive to eat out. Well, that will depend on each restaurant (as in all cities, of course). Here is a list of estimated prices and the cost of eating out in Barcelona :
- Meal in a cheap restaurant - 11€.
- Meal for 2 people in a mid-range restaurant, 3 courses - 42 €.
- McMeal at McDonalds (or similar) - 7,50€.
- Cheeseburger (fast food) - 3€.
- Local beer - 2,5€
- Coca Cola/ Pepsi - 1,70€.
- Water - 1,20
- Coffee with milk - 1,60€
- Espresso coffee - 1,20€
Cost of tourism and ticket prices in Barcelona
We've bombarded you with information and prices and you might be a bit stressed and with calculator in hand. The last thing on your mind right now is sightseeing, do I really have to spend more money? you might be thinking. Maybe now you think you can do without visiting the most emblematic places in the city, but aren't you curious to see the inside of the Sagrada Familia or the Picasso Museum? It never hurts to consider their prices.
In our previous article we already told you what to see and do in Barcelona, so now we have made a list with the prices of the main tourist attractions :
- Basilica of the Sagrada Familia: the cheapest entrance costs 20 euros. However, there are international masses held every Sunday at 9am which are free of charge.
- Camp Nou: the most basic ticket (includes museum and stadium tour) costs 26 euros.
- Picasso Museum: The collection of this museum has 4,251 works by Picasso and general admission costs 12 euros. However, it is free on Thursday afternoons, the first Sunday of every month and on open days.
- Parc Güell: It was designed by Antonio Gaudí and the entrance fee is 10 euros. However, there is a large part of the park that is free.
- La Pedrera - Casa Milà: Modernist building designed by Antonio Gaudí. The cost of the general ticket is 22€ (and 12€ if you live in Catalonia). The ticket price for children from 7 to 12 years old is 11€, and 6€ if you live in Catalonia.
- Casa Batlló: Casa Batlló is a building designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí, the greatest representative of Catalan modernism, and the entrance fee is 24,5 euros for standard adults.
Cost of living in Barcelona
At this point we can make an approximate calculation of the cost of living in Barcelona. At the moment we have:
- Room in a shared flat: 400 €.
- Shopping at the supermarket: 100 €.
- Transport: 50 €.
- Tourism and tickets: 50 €.
- Extra: 100 €.
The total is approximately 700 € per month. You must take into account that everything depends on yourself. It can be cheaper or more expensive depending on your interests and your organization in expenses.
