Cost of living in Barcelona rises 30% in five years

The cost of living in Barcelona has risen considerably in recent years as inflation has gone up largely due to increases in the prices of housing and energy. 

The reference living wage in Barcelona city for 2021 has now been calculated at €1,435.26 in a study conducted by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). In 2020, the cost of living within the city was placed at €1,420.63, meaning an increase of 1.02%. 

The main objective of determining the living wage is to determine what amount a person needs to earn so that they and their family can live a decent life. The indicator shows that many people, despite having a job, do not have enough money to support their families. 

The cost is calculated by making a budget out of basic needs including housing, transportation, education, clothing, leisure, etc.

Within the whole metropolitan area, the average cost of living has been calculated at €1,345.48 – up by 1.74% on the previous year. 

The evolution of the cost of living over the past five years has been particularly stark. 

In 2016, the costs sat at €1,088.56 within the city itself, and €1,048.87 in the metropolitan area. This means costs have jumped 31.8% in Barcelona city and 28.3% across the whole surrounding metropolis. 

Such increases can be partly explained by the soaring costs of housing and energy. Housing costs in Barcelona and Catalonia have become the most expensive in all of Spain, for both renting and buying, according to various reports. Meanwhile, Tuesday, March 8, saw the highest average electricity price ever recorded. Over the past year, new all-time highs have been recorded more than a dozen times. 

The cost of living in the outskirts of Barcelona – within the metropolitan area but not in the city itself – stood at €1,302.50 last year and €1,032.53 in 2016, representing a jump of 26.1%.

Rent or mortgage costs accounted for 36% of the total basic needs budget across the metropolitan area, two percentage points more than in 2020. The total expenditure associated with the home rises to 45% when taking into account other amenities such as water, electricity, gas and telephone. 

Food and beverages represent 20%, while 15% of the budget goes to extraordinary expenses such as improvements to the home or the purchase of appliances.

The costs outlined above are averaged totals for various different types of living situations. 

The study also provides a breakdown of living wage estimates for different segments of the population within the whole Barcelona metropolitan area in 2021.

For a single person, the cost is calculated as €1,553.83; for a single parent it is €2,220.85; for a couple without children it is €1,054.78; for a couple with one child it is €1,297.46; for a couple with two or more children it is €1,547.25; a home with three adults and no children it is €834.16; a three-adult home with children has a living cost of €1,131.25.