Spain / Southern Europe
Barcelona is a Mediterranean coastal city known for compact urban form, public-space innovation, and a steady tilt toward cleaner mobility and renewable energy. Barcelona is a southern europe city of about 5.6M metro in Spain. On the composite city-intelligence score, Barcelona sits comfortably above the indexed median (82/100).
Image credit: Image: dronepicr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Additional verified imagery for Barcelona, Spain. Each photo is sourced from Wikimedia Commons with full attribution and a permissive license.
Casa Batlló
Image credit: Image: ChristianSchd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Composite profile
82/100
Barcelona is most useful for users comparing public-space quality, cultural depth, and renewable progress against rising heat and tourism pressure.
82/100
Strong urban form and renewable resource, with rising heat exposure to manage.
Advanced
Superblocks and street redesign are reshaping daily mobility patterns.
Very strong
Solar irradiance supports a favorable transition profile.
The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 82/100 | Composite score across major city intelligence modules. |
| Cost of Living | 64/100 | Barcelona is more affordable than peer Western capitals, with rising rent pressure tied to tourism and demand for central living. |
| Air Quality | 78/100 | Barcelona's clean-air profile is improving with mobility reform, while traffic-related and regional pollutants remain health-relevant. |
| Energy | 84/100 | Barcelona benefits from a strong solar resource, active rooftop programs, and clear urban-energy direction tied to building efficiency. |
| Safety | 76/100 | Barcelona has solid overall safety, with violent-crime context low and tourist-area opportunistic risks the most visible practical concern. |
| Internet Speed | 86/100 | Barcelona has fast fiber broadband and reliable mobile coverage, supporting a growing technology and creative-industry presence. |
| Climate Risk | 68/100 | Barcelona faces rising heat and water-stress pressure, balanced by active adaptation programs and regional planning depth. |
| Resilience | 80/100 | Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context. |
Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.
Barcelona is estimated to be a generally safe city (77/100 in our safety index), with solid personal-safety indicators, though night-time scores run lower.
A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.
Barcelona has a very high quality-of-life estimate (85/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, public transport, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure.
How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.
Barcelona scores very high for family living (81/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.
Barcelona is very high for remote workers (82/100), based on connectivity, affordability, walkability, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.
Barcelona is very high for retirement (81/100), appealing for healthcare access, affordability, a comfortable climate and a clean environment.
Local public safety guidance for Barcelona, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European emergency | 11224/7 | 112 reaches police, fire, and ambulance dispatch across the European Union from any phone, free of charge. |
For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Barcelona, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Spain emergency profile.
Each emergency contact above is attributed to an official emergency service or government publisher. Confirm current numbers directly with these sources.
Used as the primary attribution for the EU-wide 112 universal emergency number on European country profiles.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.
Healthcare context for Barcelona, with national-level information from Spain where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.
For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Barcelona, see the Spain healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.
Local mobility context for Barcelona, with national-level context from Spain where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.
For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Barcelona, see the Spain transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.
Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Barcelona. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.
Source-attributed values for Barcelona will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.
| Metric | Value | Data year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location. | ||
Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset
Verified data unavailableThe air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).
Numeric measurements appear in this section only after they are sourced from accepted official publishers. The dataset is independently validated at build time; malformed records cannot ship to production.
Quick, evidence-based answers about Barcelona drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.
Yes — excellent quality of life (85/100), with nearby nature such as Montserrat, Sitges.
Excellent (81/100) on safety, schools and green space.
More affordable than average; about €1,440/month for one person (estimate).
Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.
Mainly tourism, hospitality, manufacturing.
A mediterranean climate, averaging about 16.0°C.
Higher education is strong (76/100).
Healthcare access is strong (76/100).
Retirement suitability is strong (78/100).
Within ~170 km: Montserrat, Sitges.
Pairs that share a city, comparison intent, or region — useful for users planning a wider relocation, remote-work, or business decision.
Curated city collections that include Barcelona. Each is a comparison-oriented shortlist, not an official ranking.
Remote work — A curated city intelligence shortlist for remote workers, comparing cities across cost context, safety, healthcare, transport, connectivity, and relocation utility — not an official ranking.
Practical intent-focused guides available for Barcelona. Each guide is a comparison-oriented view, not an official ranking.
Barcelona supports remote-work comparison through cost framing, Mediterranean climate context, and structured intelligence across safety and healthcare references.
City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.
Barcelona is more affordable than peer Western capitals, with rising rent pressure tied to tourism and demand for central living.
Barcelona's clean-air profile is improving with mobility reform, while traffic-related and regional pollutants remain health-relevant.
Barcelona benefits from a strong solar resource, active rooftop programs, and clear urban-energy direction tied to building efficiency.
Barcelona has solid overall safety, with violent-crime context low and tourist-area opportunistic risks the most visible practical concern.
Barcelona has fast fiber broadband and reliable mobile coverage, supporting a growing technology and creative-industry presence.
Barcelona faces rising heat and water-stress pressure, balanced by active adaptation programs and regional planning depth.
Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.
Cost of living estimates for Barcelona — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.
Climate profile for Barcelona — Mediterranean climate, annual average 16°C, comfort score 88/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.
Economy and jobs profile for Barcelona — tourism economy, economy score 69/100, key industries including tourism, hospitality, manufacturing. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.
Education profile for Barcelona — student city, education score 73/100, 7 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.
Healthcare and retirement profile for Barcelona — major healthcare center, healthcare score 76/100, retirement score 78/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.
Practical arrival planning context for Barcelona — links into transport, public-safety, healthcare, budgeting tools, and methodology. Not an official airport or travel instruction service.
Structured neighborhood research checklist for Barcelona — links into transport, public-safety, healthcare, arrival planning, and budgeting tools. Not a real-estate, rental, or safety-ranking service.
Structured relocation research checklist for Barcelona — links into country context, arrival planning, neighborhood research, cost tools, healthcare, public safety, and transport. Not immigration, visa, tax, legal, financial, medical, or property advice.
Source-attributed visual context for Barcelona using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.
Summer 2026 travel planning checklist for Barcelona — links into arrival planning, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not a weather forecast, events calendar, hotel-price guide, or tourism ranking.
Weekend trip planning checklist for Barcelona — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.
Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.
Estimate a monthly budget for Barcelona using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.
Plan a trip budget for Barcelona using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.
Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Barcelona. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.
Same region · about 7 km from Barcelona. Explore L'Hospitalet de Llobregat's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 7 km from Barcelona. Explore Badalona's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 18 km from Barcelona. Explore Sabadell's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 23 km from Barcelona. Explore Terrassa's city intelligence profile.
Coastal cluster · about 82 km from Barcelona. Explore Tarragona's city intelligence profile.
Coastal cluster · about 85 km from Barcelona. Explore Girona's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 130 km from Barcelona. Explore Lleida's city intelligence profile.
Cross-border · about 157 km from Barcelona. Explore Perpignan's city intelligence profile.
Cross-border · about 203 km from Barcelona. Explore Carcassonne's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 207 km from Barcelona. Explore Palma's city intelligence profile.
Regional discovery collections that include Barcelona — named natural regions grouping nearby nature, parks, lakes, coasts, and mountains for local-first day and weekend planning.
Coastal region · 9 places across 29 cities.
Mountain region · 30 places across 59 cities.
Weekend escapes · 30 places across 9 cities.
Theme-first discovery collections that include Barcelona — grouped by outdoor interest (mountains, lakes, coasts, forests, national parks) rather than geography.
Mediterranean Nature · 15 places across 17 cities.
Coastal Landscapes · 14 places across 38 cities.
Hiking Areas · 50 places across 67 cities.
Mountain Escapes · 50 places across 80 cities.
Nature Photography Spots · 50 places across 66 cities.
Retirement Cities · 18 places across 14 cities.
Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Barcelona, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.
Barcelona has a very high quality-of-life estimate (85/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, public transport, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. Visitors can also reach nature such as Montserrat, Sitges and Garraf Massif within weekend range.
Barcelona has a very high quality-of-life estimate (85/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, public transport, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. It indexes 85/100 for overall quality of life.
A single resident of Barcelona spends roughly €1,440 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near €766. Overall the city is more affordable than average for Spain. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.
Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Barcelona is very high for remote workers (82/100), based on connectivity, affordability, walkability, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
Barcelona's labour market is strong, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and education and research. Barcelona has a tourism-driven economy with strengths in tourism, hospitality and manufacturing.
Barcelona offers strong infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 73/100.
Barcelona is a student-oriented city with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Social Sciences, Computer Science and Business.
Barcelona offers a very strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods, relatively affordable living and strong quality of life.
Barcelona has a major healthcare center, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 76/100. Residents have strong access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.
Barcelona offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 78/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space, walkable streets and broad urban amenities and day-to-day services.
Barcelona has a mediterranean climate, averaging about 16.0°C annually with roughly 599 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jul.
Barcelona is estimated to be a generally safe city (77/100 in our safety index), with solid personal-safety indicators, though night-time scores run lower.
Barcelona indexes a walkability score of 96 and a cycling score of 74 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.
Nature destinations within about 170 km of Barcelona include Montserrat, Sitges and Garraf Massif. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.
Barcelona scores very high for family living (81/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
Barcelona rates 59/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 80/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Montserrat, Sitges and Garraf Massif supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.
Barcelona is most useful for users comparing public-space quality, cultural depth, and renewable progress against rising heat and tourism pressure. Its standout dimensions are internet speed (86/100) and energy (84/100). The area most worth watching is cost of living (64/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 5 institutional references.
Country context is available on the Spain country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Barcelona appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
5 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
Used to normalize air-quality indicators toward health-protective benchmarks.
Used as an energy-resource and weather-normalization reference.
Used where European city comparisons need monitored air-quality context.
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.