In this blog we are going to help you find out how much living in Barcelona can cost you, so you can calculate your expenses. It’s tempting to spend every weekend trying out new bars, restaurants and doing different activities such as going to music festivals, yoga classes, going to the beach or watching a movie at the cinema.
With good weather, amazing tourist attractions and good food, Barcelona is the destination of choice for many students from Spain and also international university students, they choose it to do their Erasmus, study or to move on with their lives.
Knowing how much it costs to live in Barcelona is essential, isn’t it? With this blog, you will be able to plan and learn more about this amazing city.
General costs
If you are thinking of living in a flat, you may have extra costs that you will save on our residences, such as the cost of electricity and water. For the rent of a flat in Barcelona you can spend 1.000 € per month, on electricity about 55 € per month and about 50 € per year on the price of water, without counting other taxes that can be added such as the waste collection fee, etc.
If you live in Xior Barcelona residences, you won’t have to worry about it, all the bills are included!
Average cost of food
The cost of food in Barcelona is one of the most variable depending on your lifestyle, the best way to save some money is to shop at the supermarket and cook at home, a person can spend between 200 and 300 € per month on groceries.
Larger supermarkets have their own brands, but good quality and much cheaper prices. Some supermarkets we recommend in Barcelona are Alcampo, Consum, Mercadona, Día, Carrefour, Lidl or Aldi.
If you prefer to go to a restaurant it won’t cost you less than 15 or 20 €, that’s the minimum you’ll spend, there are other cheaper options, such as ordering a sandwich or tapas. Or even better, there are many restaurants in Barcelona that offer a “menú del día”, which can cost you between 10 and 15 € approximately.
At Xior Barcelona you can save yourself the work of preparing the food, and doing the shopping because we have full board or half board options when booking any room in the three residences Xior Collblanc, Xior Lofttown and Xior Diagonal Besòs, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Transport costs
There are different fares, you can get the Casual card for one zone for 11,35 €, the T-Usual for one zone for 20 € or the T-Jove for 40 €.
Recently, they have implemented a free pass for frequent travellers, these are the dates you have to take advantage of this pass:
– 1st four-month period: valid from 1 January 2023, or the date of purchase if this is later, until 30 April 2023.
– 2nd four-month period: valid from 1 May 2023, or the date of purchase if later, until 31 August 2023.
– 3rd four-month period: valid from 1 September 2023, or the date of purchase if later, until 31 December 2023.
You can also consult the Transports Metropolitans of Barcelona website for more information. If you like to get around the city by bicycle, you should know that Barcelona has a service called Bicing. For 50 € a year you can access any public bicycle in the city, and the first half hour of use is completely free.
Entertainment and extras
Having a coffee, going out for tapas or going for a beer in the centre of Barcelona can cost around €10. Cinema tickets without discounts cost €9 (excluding popcorn and soft drinks) and with a student discount around €7. However, in Barcelona, you can see a lot of things for little money, museums, beautiful buildings designed by Gaudí, or go shopping in the city.
If you want to go out partying, depending on the type of music you like there are several options, the price can vary, but normally the entrance to a discotheque costs 15 €, another cheaper option is to spend the night on a terrace or inside any bar, where you can also enjoy music but in a quieter way. This way, you can meet a lot of Erasmus students and experience the international atmosphere to the fullest.
After all, if you want to live the experience and be a student in Barcelona, we help you to enjoy your stay in the city in the Xior Barcelona residences.
