Cost of Living score
Affordability, essential costs, and day-to-day financial pressure for residents.
Cost of Living in Barcelona64/100
Cost of Living
Cost of Living in Barcelona
Barcelona is more affordable than peer Western capitals, with rising rent pressure tied to tourism and demand for central living. Cost of Living in Barcelona scores 64/100, placing it in the developing group of the indexed set.
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Module score
- 64/100
Affordability score
64/100
Moderate affordability shaped by steady rent growth.
Housing pressure
Rising
Short-term rentals and central demand drive longer-run pressure.
Amenity offset
Strong
Outdoor, transit, and public-space access reduce some private costs.
Barcelona cost of living data table
This HTML table mirrors the visible score cards so important comparison data is never trapped in a browser-only chart.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability score | 64/100 | Walkable neighborhoods reduce some daily expense. |
| Housing pressure | Rising | Inner-city districts remain especially competitive. |
| Amenity offset | Strong | Mediterranean climate supports outdoor daily life. |
Cost of Living city comparison
A crawlable comparison across a selection of same-country and top-scoring cities. The complete set is reachable via the rankings, the cities index, and each city profile.
| City | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona (this page) | 64/100 | Barcelona is more affordable than peer Western capitals, with rising rent pressure tied to tourism and demand for central living. |
| Teruel | 80/100 | Teruel's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Mérida | 79/100 | Mérida's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Badajoz | 78/100 | Badajoz's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Huelva | 76/100 | Huelva's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Córdoba | 76/100 | Córdoba's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Elche | 76/100 | Elche's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| León | 76/100 | León's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Almería | 76/100 | Almería's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Zaragoza | 76/100 | Zaragoza's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Granada | 76/100 | Granada's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Ourense | 75/100 | Ourense's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Albacete | 75/100 | Albacete's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Burgos | 75/100 | Burgos's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Cartagena | 75/100 | Cartagena's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Valladolid | 75/100 | Valladolid's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Jerez de la Frontera | 74/100 | Jerez de la Frontera's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Cádiz | 74/100 | Cádiz's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Seville | 74/100 | Seville's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Malaga | 74/100 | Malaga's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Murcia | 74/100 | Murcia's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Lleida | 73/100 | Lleida's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Algeciras | 73/100 | Algeciras's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Castellón de la Plana | 73/100 | Castellón de la Plana's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Gijón | 73/100 | Gijón's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Santiago de Compostela | 73/100 | Santiago de Compostela's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Segovia | 72/100 | Segovia's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Madrid | 72/100 | Madrid offers moderate affordability for a major European capital, with central rents rising and transit and food keeping daily costs balanced. |
| Valencia | 72/100 | Valencia's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Bilbao | 72/100 | Bilbao's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Alicante | 72/100 | Alicante's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
Interpretation
The cost-of-living model rewards walkable cities where transit, mild climate, and outdoor amenity reduce some private costs. Across the indexed cities the cost of living average is 63/100, so Barcelona is close to the median for this dimension. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 3 institutional references.
Read this module with the main open the barcelona city profile and the read the scoring methodology page so single-topic pages do not hide tradeoffs across dimensions.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Sources
3 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.
- UN-Habitat: World Cities Report 2024
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
- IPCC: AR6 WGII Chapter 6: Cities, settlements and key infrastructure
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.
- Numbeo: Cost of Living Index
Used for directional affordability framing alongside official housing and price datasets.
Continue exploring
These links connect module pages back to city, ranking, and sibling topic paths with crawlable href values.
Barcelona city profile
Return to the complete Barcelona profile with all module scores and source context.
Air Quality in Barcelona
Health-oriented air-quality conditions with context from WHO, EEA, and EPA benchmarks.
Energy in Barcelona
Clean-energy readiness, grid resilience, and solar or efficiency opportunity signals.
Safety in Barcelona
Personal safety, institutional trust, and resilience signals informed by international safety and crime data.
Internet Speed in Barcelona
Broadband and mobile connectivity quality, latency, and digital-readiness signals for residents and remote workers.
Climate Risk in Barcelona
Climate exposure, hazard frequency, and adaptation context for floods, heat, storms, and wildfires.
Overall Intelligence
A balanced ranking of cities across affordability, air quality, clean-energy readiness, and resilience.
Quality of Life
Cities that combine strong services, mobility, safety, clean air, and resilience into a healthy day-to-day profile.