Barcelona is one of those cities that lives rent-free in your imagination long before you ever see it.
Sunset over the Mediterranean.
Gaudí balconies curving over narrow streets.
Tapas, wine, terraces, and… somehow… everyone looks like they’re on their third vacation of the year.
It’s the city where every corner looks like a postcard and every glass of wine seems to cost less than a Starbucks latte.
But what does it really cost to live there—not for a week in an Airbnb, not as a study abroad student, but as an actual resident trying to build a life?
To answer that, I sat down with my friend Jenny Ramírez, who I’ve known in Colombia for about five or six years. Two years ago, she packed up her life in Colombia and moved to Barcelona. Since then, she’s navigated the visa maze, the banking drama, the rental insanity, and the reality of paying European prices on a European salary.
This is Barcelona through the eyes of someone who actually lives there—not an influencer on a 4-day city break.
Grab your café con leche (or a tinto if you’re reading this in Bogotá), and let’s dive in.
How Jenny Got to Barcelona (and Why the “Just Move to Europe” Advice is Oversimplified)
Jenny didn’t move to Spain because she spun a globe and landed on Barcelona.
She moved because, as a Colombian (and citizen of a former Spanish colony), Spain has one of the clearest paths in Europe to long-term residency and citizenship—if you’re willing to play by its rules.
Her path looked like this:
Step 1 – The Padrón (Empadronamiento): Proving You Exist There
The padrón is basically city hall’s way of saying:
“Okay, we acknowledge you live here.”
You need an address and someone who is legally allowed to add you to their household. That person declares, in writing, that you live in their place. No papers, no padrón. No padrón, no real life.
Step 2 – Marriage and Residency
Jenny ended up taking the marriage route.She went to Spain.
Did the padrón.
Came back to Colombia.
Waited the required time.
Returned to Spain and got married to regularize her stay.
That opened up a path to long-term legal status and, after a few years, near-citizen rights.
Now, she has a status that gives her the same practical rights as a Spanish citizen—healthcare, work authorization, and a clear path to full citizenship once the paperwork grinds its way through the system.
The Alternative: The Two-Year Rule for Latin Americans
There’s another route:Citizens of many former Spanish colonies (like Colombia) can live in Spain for two years, and after that, apply for citizenship.
But here’s the catch: you have to prove you’ve been living there the whole time… without really having solid papers at the beginning.
That means you somehow need:
Housing
Income
A way to stay under the radar but still show presence
It’s possible. But, as Jenny puts it, it’s hard. It looks simple on paper. In real life, those two years are a high-wire act.
So when you see “Spain offers citizenship after two years for Latin Americans” in a TikTok video, just remember: that line has about 19 footnotes attached to it.
The Rental Reality: Expensive, Competitive, and Mildly Absurd
If you’ve ever tried to rent an apartment in Colombia as a foreigner, you know the feeling:
“We need documents you don’t have, from banks you don’t use, in a system that doesn’t recognize your financial life.”
Spain, it turns out, speaks a very similar language.
Step 1: Get a Bank Account… Without the Documents You Need
To rent a long-term apartment in Barcelona, you basically need:
A Spanish bank account
Income proof from a job in Spain
Often a long-term work contract
Money for one month of rent + roughly three more months as deposit/fees
Jenny hit the first wall at the bank.
She had:
A Colombian passport
No job contract yet
No NIE (her Spanish foreigner ID at the time)
Many banks simply said:
“No account for you—because you’re Colombian.”
Yes, they told her that out loud. Colombia and China, she said, were specifically restricted in the internal risk rules of some branches.
What solved it?
A Colombian friend already living in Spain who knew exactly which bank and which specific office to go to.
That bank opened the account—but only if she bought a one-year private insurance policy with them.
It came with extra healthcare benefits, which is actually nice, but it was yet another hidden cost in the real “price of entry” to Barcelona.
Once she eventually had her NIE, banking became easier. But that first step? Not for the faint of heart.
Step 2: Finding an Apartment in a City Everyone Wants
When Jenny finally moved into her current apartment, about a year and a half ago, her rent was €1,300.
Today, that same unit is going for around €2,300.
In other words, up over 70% in under two years.
That’s not a typo. That’s Barcelona.
And that’s not some luxury penthouse—it’s a normal, livable apartment in a city where 20 people will line up just to view a rental.
Rooms in shared flats?
You might find something around €600 if you’re very lucky and it’s a friend-of-a-friend situation.
It’s not uncommon to see €1,000 for a single room in a shared apartment.
And it’s not just Barcelona. Jenny says:
Madrid is right there in the same price bracket.
Other cities might be slightly less competitive, but prices are not “cheap Spain” anymore.
Demand to live in Spain is high, and people who can’t afford Barcelona just move to other cities—pulling prices up there too.
How did Jenny solve it?
She leaned on social networks and friends:
A friend with a stable job and a year’s work history put the paperwork in her own name.
Jenny fronted the money.
Her friend’s profile made the rental application pass.
Without that? It would have been much harder.
Food: Where Spain Quietly Wins
Here’s where things turn around.
For all the drama around rent, food in Spain is shockingly affordable—especially if you cook at home.
Jenny’s rough numbers:
Groceries for one person: around €100 per month if you’re simple and efficient.
Groceries for two people: about €300 per month for a really well-stocked pantry and good quality items.
And no, that’s not low-quality, mystery-brand food.
The EU has strict food regulations. You’re getting cleaner ingredients, fewer chemicals, and higher baseline standards than in a lot of other places.
Jenny actually compares it directly with Colombia:
“For what my sister paid for groceries here in Colombia, I could buy more food with better quality in Spain.”
That’s wild.
Eating Out: Where Barcelona Bites Back
Now, eating out in Barcelona itself? Different story.
Restaurants and bars can be noticeably expensive, especially in central or touristy zones.
Madrid, interestingly, often feels cheaper for going out, even though it’s also a major European capital.
So the pattern is:
Cook at home → extremely reasonable.
Eat out in Barcelona regularly → your budget will feel it fast.
Utilities and the “Everyone Pays the Same” Factor
In Colombia, utilities are tied to estrato (strata 1–6), so your neighborhood’s classification affects how much you pay. In Spain, that doesn’t exist.
“In Spain, that doesn’t exist. Everyone pays the same.”
For two people in an apartment in Barcelona, Jenny estimates:
Around €100–€150 per month combined for:
Water
Electricity
Basic utilities
You don’t pay each one every single month (bills can come every two months, etc.), so the total fluctuates. But on average, that’s the ballpark.
Compared to Colombia?
Electricity and water often feel expensive in Colombia relative to income.
In Spain, the utility burden is much lighter when you factor in what people earn.
Transportation: Where Barcelona Quietly Crushes Bogotá
This is one of the categories where Barcelona absolutely shines.
A monthly transit pass in Barcelona costs around €23.
That includes:
Metro
Buses
Some local trains
And you get unlimited rides.
Jenny compares it to Bogotá:
In Bogotá, she estimates TransMilenio at around 3,000 COP per ride (~$0.75).
If you commute twice a day, five days a week, that adds up fast. And that’s only one transport system, with no unified multi-modal pass.
Barcelona’s €23/month pass gives you:
All transit modes
Access even to nearby towns in some zones
A system where you don’t need a car.
Add to that:
A public bike system with electric and regular bikes
Dedicated bike lanes throughout the city
The ability to pay an annual fee and then very small charges per ride
Result: tons of people live entirely car-free.
Yes, stuff gets stolen sometimes (this is still real life), but because there’s a robust public bike system, you’re not constantly worrying about your personal bike disappearing.
Taxis and Ubers?
Typical city rides: €10–€15
Trip up to the mountains or a bit further: €20–€25
Jenny laughs comparing it to Bogotá:
“Half an hour in Barcelona gets you across the city. Half an hour here might get you three blocks.”
Healthcare: “Bad Quality”… Until You Compare It
Ask locals in almost any country, “How’s the healthcare?” and most will say, “Not great.”
Spain is no exception. Many Spaniards complain about the system.
But compare it to:
The United States
Or even Colombia’s mix of EPS + prepaid
…and the story changes fast.
What Jenny Gets in Spain
As soon as you do your padrón and show you live in Spain—even just with your passport—you can get access to public healthcare.
Key points:
It doesn’t matter if you’re Spanish or not.
If you’re registered as a resident in that city, you can use the public system.
It’s effectively free at the point of use.
You can also add supplemental private insurance:
Jenny’s partner pays about €16 per month for a private plan.
When he needed a medical procedure that required two days in a hospital, in a single room, his total bill was about €150.
That kind of stay in the U.S. would cost thousands and thousands of dollars, even with insurance.
In Colombia, Jenny respects the medical quality a lot—and I’ve talked about this before. Colombia ranks high globally and is a major hotspot for medical tourism. But you still pay (even if less than in the U.S.).
Spain’s advantage is simple:
“Even if you don’t pay, you can go to the doctor.”
The public system may not be lightning fast, but it’s real, functional, and universal.
Education and Raising Kids: The Hidden Massive Advantage
Jenny says one of the biggest differences between Spain and Colombia isn’t just rent or groceries—it’s raising a child.
In Spain:
Public education is free.
Public schools are generally solid, and you can always choose private if you want.
There are plenty of extracurricular activities and cultural programs that are completely free or very low cost.
In Colombia:
You almost always end up paying for decent schooling.
Almost every extracurricular is an added cost.
For a single parent or a family, that’s huge.
When you remove:
School tuition
Many activity fees
Health insurance premiums
…the overall quality-of-life-to-salary ratio in Spain starts looking a lot better, even if rent is painful.
Work, Wages, and the Local Economy
On paper, Spain’s minimum wage is much higher than Colombia’s.
Jenny mentions Colombia’s minimum at around the equivalent of €300/month.
In Spain, the minimum wage is closer to €1,600/month.
Sounds great, right?
But then you line it up against:
Rents of €1,300–€2,300 for a normal apartment
The need for deposits and multiple months upfront
…and suddenly, Spanish locals are saying the same thing people in Colombia say:
“Salaries aren’t enough for the cost of living.”
The difference is what that minimum actually buys you:
In Colombia:
Very low minimum wage
Very high out-of-pocket costs for education, healthcare (if you go private), and extras
In Spain:
Higher minimum wage
Free education
Free public healthcare
Strong public transit (no car needed)
So if you’re a local Spanish worker with a basic salary trying to rent alone in Barcelona, life feels tight.
If you’re a digital nomad or remote worker earning from abroad in hard currency (USD, CAD, EUR from elsewhere) and you’re not relying on local wages?
Now Barcelona looks much more attractive.
Jenny’s take:
“The best way to move there is as a digital nomad with income from outside. That’s what people there don’t want more of—but it’s the reality.”
If you do want local work:
There are plenty of jobs in hospitality, tourism, babysitting, bars, etc.
For things like cultural work, speaking Catalan becomes extremely important.
Having connections matters—just like everywhere else.
Community, Culture, and the “Always Something Happening” Factor
If you’re going to pay that much in rent, Barcelona had better offer something special.
And culturally, it does.
Jenny lights up when she talks about:
Street festivals nearly every weekend
Neighborhood associations throwing events with:
Live music
Closed streets
Drinks and food stands
Tons of museums, day trips, and cultural activities within 30 minutes of the city
There’s a law that allows cultural associations to host a certain number of outdoor events a year without paying the kind of heavy fees you might see elsewhere. So neighborhoods get creative, call it “support,” and you spend money—but in a way that feeds local culture, not just big business.
If nothing’s happening in your barrio, drive (or train) 30 minutes and something is happening somewhere else—and often for free.
So Is Barcelona More Expensive Than Colombia?
Yes.
On rent? Absolutely.
On everything else? The answer gets more nuanced:
Groceries: Cheaper in Spain, with higher quality.
Eating out: More expensive in Barcelona, but manageable if you balance it.
Utilities: More predictable and not estrato-based.
Transport: Much cheaper and more efficient in Spain when you factor in monthly passes and bike systems.
Healthcare: Spain wins on universality and out-of-pocket cost.
Education: Spain wins by a mile.
If you’re making a Colombian salary and paying Barcelona rent, life is going to feel brutally expensive.
If you’re making foreign income as a digital nomad or remote worker and you’re okay sharing a flat or living slightly outside the center, the overall lifestyle equation can tilt heavily in your favor—especially if you’re raising kids or thinking long-term about healthcare and education.
So… Is Barcelona Worth It?
For Jenny? Yes.
Even with the bureaucracy, the visa maze, the impossible rental market, and the fun of waiting months for a driver’s license conversion, she’s stayed, built a life, integrated into the systems, and is on track for full citizenship.
She has:
A European salary
European cost of living
European healthcare and education
And a lifestyle wrapped in Mediterranean architecture, music, and constant cultural life
For you, the question isn’t, “Is Barcelona cheap?”
It’s:
“Given my income, my goals, and my willingness to wrestle with the system, does Barcelona give me a better quality of life than where I am now?”
If that answer is yes, then the next step is to stop dreaming and start planning.