Living in Barcelona: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In Barcelona, a one-bedroom home costs about €650 a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in London, you need about €1,400 net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Work out my budget in Barcelona
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Barcelona, they would need about €1,400 net a month locally (−64%), i.e. 1.1 times the SMI.
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €2,570 net a month in Barcelona, i.e. 1.9 times the SMI.
Calculated on 3 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rent in Barcelona
A one-bedroom home in Barcelona costs about 69% more than the median of the 11 other cities tracked in the country.
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas |
|---|---|
| Studio | €400 |
| 1 bedroom | €650 |
| 2 bedrooms | €940 |
| 3-bedroom house | €1,140 |
Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Ministry of Housing (SERPAVI), from 2024 tax returns: median rent per m² in each municipality (flats, houses separately), updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).
A month’s budget in Barcelona, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in London, here is what each line would cost in Barcelona.
| Item | London | Barcelona | Barcelona (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | £2,550 | £550 | €650 |
| Housing tax | £50 | £0 | €0 |
| Electricity, water, gas | £100 | £90 | €100 |
| Groceries | £200 | £200 | €230 |
| Restaurants and outings | £110 | £90 | €100 |
| Transport | £100 | £50 | €60 |
| Health | £40 | £0 | €0 |
| Phone and internet | £50 | £60 | €70 |
| Sport | £60 | £50 | €50 |
| Clothes | £60 | £60 | €70 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | £40 | £30 | €30 |
| Trips back to London | £0 | £30 | €30 |
| Total per month | £3,350 | £1,190 | €1,390 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Barcelona?
For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €1,400 net a month, i.e. 1.1 times the SMI.
How much is rent in Barcelona?
About €650 a month for a one-bedroom home and €940 for a two-bedroom home, according to Ministry of Housing (SERPAVI), from 2024 tax returns.
Is it expensive to live in Barcelona?
In London, a single person spends about £3,350 a month; with the same life in Barcelona, it would be about £1,190 (−64%).
Work out my budget in Barcelona