On average, a Catalonian family spends over 1,200 euros per month on rent. These figures were provided by La Vanguardia’s research team, in collaboration with the Statistics Institute of Catalonia. As the data also demonstrates, in 2016, the rent for housing in Barcelona amounted to 34.1% of the average city resident’s total expenditures. On the other hand, a social survey dedicated to the conditions of life in the Catalonian capital has demonstrated that more than half of Barcelona’s residents spend at least 40% of their income on housing costs. According to our calculations, this figure is 20% higher than in 2011.
As the statistics demonstrate, in 2016, residents of Barcelona each paid an average of 4,721 euros for housing and utility services, which is 1,000 euros higher than the Catalonian average and 1,200 euros higher than the average for the whole country.
Food products and non-alcoholic beverages are the second greatest expense items among residents of Barcelona, constituting 14.30 euros out of every 100 euros of residents’ personal budgets. On average, a resident of Barcelona spends 1,986 euros for food and drinks annually, which is slightly higher than the average cost across Catalonia and almost 200 euros higher than the national average. Moreover, paying visits to cafes, restaurants, and hotels constitutes the most expensive single cost items, accounting for 3,123 euros per person per annum versus the 2,748 euros spent on average across Catalonia and 2,780 across Spain.