Cost of living comparison between Barcelona (Spain) and Madrid (Spain)
| Food | 2% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Food in Barcelona (Spain) is 2% cheaper than in Madrid (Spain) | |||
| Daily menu in the business district | €11.08 | €11.27 | 2% |
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) | €6.47 | €6.60 | 2% |
| 1/2 Kg (1 lb.) of chicken breast | €3.30 | €3.43 | 4% |
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | €0.96 | €0.97 | 1% |
| 12 eggs, large | €1.78 | €1.75 | 2% |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | €1.57 | €1.99 | 21% |
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | €5.15 | €4.66 | 11% |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | €1.63 | €1.74 | 6% |
| 2 kg (4,5 lb.) of potatoes | €1.78 | €1.60 | 11% |
| 0.5 l (16 oz) beer in the supermarket | €0.76 | €0.83 | 8% |
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | €6.42 | €5.94 | 8% |
| 2 liters of Coca-Cola | €1.34 | €1.48 | 9% |
| bread for 2 people for 1 day | €1.00 | €0.91 | 10% |
| Housing | 3% | ||
| Housing in Barcelona (Spain) is 3% cheaper than in Madrid (Spain) | |||
| monthly rent for a 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished apartment in expensive area of the city | €1,183 | €1,241 | 5% |
| utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | €118 | €125 | 5% |
| Internet 8MB (1 month) | €38 | €37 | 4% |
| 40” flat screen TV | €560 | €618 | 9% |
| Microwave, known brand, 800/900 Watt | €93 | €103 | 9% |
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | €5.29 | €5.65 | 6% |
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | €11.11 | €10.10 | 10% |
| Clothes | 0% | ||
| Clothes in Barcelona (Spain) is 0% more expensive than in Madrid (Spain) | |||
| 1 pair of Levis 501 | €91 | €82 | 11% |
| 1 summer dress in a chain store (Zara, H&M, ...) | €27 | €29 | 6% |
| 1 pair of Adidas trainers | €74 | €76 | 3% |
| 1 pair of average business shoes | €83 | €83 | 0% |
| Transportation | 8% | ||
| Transportation in Barcelona (Spain) is 8% cheaper than in Madrid (Spain) | |||
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 140 CV 6 vel. (or equivalent), with no extras, new | €19,770 | €21,569 | 8% |
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | €1.37 | €1.37 | 0% |
| monthly ticket public transport | €44 | €49 | 10% |
| Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 Km. (5 miles) | €10.96 | €12.16 | 10% |
| Personal Care | 7% | ||
| Personal Care in Barcelona (Spain) is 7% cheaper than in Madrid (Spain) | |||
| medicine against cold for 6 days (Frenadol, Coldrex, ...) | €4.04 | €5.37 | 25% |
| 1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) | €4.48 | €4.65 | 4% |
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | €2.69 | €2.45 | 10% |
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | €3.41 | €3.25 | 5% |
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | €1.55 | €1.46 | 6% |
| Tube of toothpaste | €1.83 | €2.08 | 12% |
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | €13.87 | €12.81 | 8% |
| Entertainment | 5% | ||
| Entertainment in Barcelona (Spain) is 5% cheaper than in Madrid (Spain) | |||
| basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | €28 | €28 | 2% |
| 2 tickets to the movies | €15.30 | €15.31 | 0% |
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | €58 | €68 | 15% |
| dinner out for two in Italian restaurant with wine and dessert | €51 | €53 | 5% |
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | €8.43 | €8.82 | 4% |
| Capuccino in expat area of the city | €2.07 | €2.33 | 11% |
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub | €2.38 | €2.70 | 12% |
| iPod nano 8GB (6th generation) | €144 | €135 | 6% |
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | €0.22 | €0.22 | 1% |
| 1 month of gym in business district | €51 | €63 | 19% |
| 1 package of Marlboro cigarretes | €4.32 | €4.31 | 0% |
| TOTAL | 4% | ||
These prices were last updated on May 16, 2012.
This comparison is based on abundant and consistent data. It is based on 8,898 prices entered by 724 different people.
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