3.19/5
3,273 reviews
Photo by Logan Armstrong via Unsplash

Barcelona

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beach

food

weather

great

scene

beautiful

perfect

apartments

year

friendly

good

community

huge

apartment

airbnb

para

long

Barcelona is a popular destination for digital nomads and long-term travelers thanks to its excellent weather year-round, fast internet, and strong food and culture scene. The city is compact, highly walkable, and has good public transportation. Beaches and mountains are both easily accessible, adding to the overall lifestyle appeal. There's a large expat community, lots of coworking spaces, and a fun nightlife. If you stay outside tourist-heavy neighborhoods like Barceloneta or the Gothic Quarter, things tend to be more relaxed and safer.

However, there are significant downsides to consider. Petty crime like pickpocketing and occasional apartment break-ins are widespread, especially in central neighborhoods. Locals are often described as unfriendly or cold, particularly toward outsiders. The city is also considered dirty by many, and air quality and noise levels are frequently mentioned as issues. Short-term housing and Airbnbs are expensive and hard to book, especially during tourist seasons. Long-term rentals are extremely competitive and pricing is high for what you get. Bureaucracy is another challenge, with long wait times and confusing paperwork for basic services like banking or internet.

Overall, Barcelona offers a compelling lifestyle for those with enough budget and patience to navigate its challenges.

AI-generated summary of reviews
4 months ago

When most people think of Barcelona, their mind instantly goes to Gaudí’s masterpieces, the bustling Gothic Quarter, or the vibrant energy of Las Ramblas. But just 15 minutes south of the city center lies one of Catalonia’s best-kept secrets: Castelldefels.

This seaside town strikes the perfect balance between Mediterranean calm and metropolitan connection. With over 5 kilometers of golden sandy beach, Castelldefels offers the kind of everyday lifestyle most people only dream about: morning swims in the sea, long walks on the promenade, and sunsets that paint the horizon in fiery reds and purples.

But Castelldefels is more than just a beach town. It’s a thriving community that attracts digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and families looking for a healthier, more balanced way of life. With Barcelona’s international airport just 10 minutes away, you can hop on a flight to anywhere in Europe while enjoying the peace of a coastal retreat.

The town is also famous for its gastronomy – from authentic tapas bars hidden in narrow streets to modern restaurants with creative twists on Catalan cuisine. And let’s not forget the outdoor lifestyle: surfing, sailing, cycling up to Garraf Natural Park, or playing padel and tennis in one of Spain’s most active sporting hubs.

Castelldefels embodies the idea of a Mediterranean soul:

Sun-drenched days and mild winters.

A diverse, international community.

A perfect blend of local charm and modern living.

If Barcelona is Europe’s cosmopolitan heart, Castelldefels is its laid-back lung – giving you the space to breathe, create, and truly live.

4 months ago

I don't get why people like BCN. It's dirty, sketchy, air quality is meh and locals are not friendly. What's all the hype about? Also, I don't think the city is beautiful. Ljubljana and Prague are beautiful. Cute Spanish beach towns are beautiful. Barcelona has a few Gaudi buildings, but the rest is cookie cutter streets with lots of traffic and noise. There's better places to live in Europe and in Spain.

1 year ago

Difficult to find places to work in the evenings if you work for a western company. Hard to find a good quality restaurant, Google reviews are very inflated here.

2 years ago

I don't know exactly how Barcelona is still considered safe but it's far from it. It's probably the most dangerous city to live in Madrid and one of the most dangerous in europe, with constant pick-pocketing and even violent crimes to get your wallet and phone in certain areas.
If you like a peaceful life, Barcelona is not the place anymore!!

2 years ago

Pros: Weather is great and apartments are excellent.
Cons: City is dirty including the beaches. Locals are extremely hostile, unfriendly and confrontational. There isn't a huge amount of good things to do in the city - most things are mediocre. People constantly bash into you in the street. Food and coffee is very average. Crime is awful - my apartment was broken into and my suitcase got stolen from the baggage belt at the airport. Air quality is terrible.

2 years ago

I stayed in Poblenou, which is a really chill upcoming area outside of the tourism of Barcelona. Really enjoyed it. Very tranquil. People were relatively friendly compared to most in Europe and there was lots of nice food and coffee places. Also pretty okay gyms. Really enjoyed Barcelona this time! Just make sure you stay outside the tourist areas.

2 years ago

There's no reason to live in this city. I spent a year here. The weather is not even a bit nicer compared to central-eastern Europe. Maybe when it's -4 degrees in Budapest, it's +1 in Barcelona. That's just as cold. And the insulation in apartments is practically non-existent, as well as AC and heating. If there's heating in an apartment, using it for like 3 hours/day would cost $100 a month. Speaking of apartments, pricing is ridiculous. $1500 + utilities for a 2 bedroom in a neighborhood where (if you're lucky) you will not get robbed. Oh, that's all if you can even get an apartment because nobody wants to rent expats anything here. I contacted 150+ apartments over the course of ~3 months and even offered to pay a year in advance. I only "qualified" for 2 apartments. Oh, you think you can live in Airbnbs and hotels while searching for an apartment? Yeah, sure. For $130-200 / night or be prepared to live in a hole, 1 hour of public transport from anything (still for $100 a night). Next, the beach. There's nothing magical or good in Bcn beach. A soulless city beach. And important to mention the extremely bad, canal odor that's almost 24/7 near the beach and the next 5-10 blocks inside. On some public transportation lines, you feel pretty much like canned fish from March to October. At least 2 neighborhoods are full of pickpockets, and freakin` apartment break-ins. Oh, and don't even get me started on getting papers here. Bureaucracy is crazy. You need like 3 freakin different papers just to be able to get a normal bank account or mobile/internet contract. Oh, you can get a non-residential bank. But for that, you also need an NIE number and pay 20 bucks a month. Getting an appointment for a resident card is impossible. You need to pay 200+ for a vendor to get you an appointment. Corrupt, mafia craziness. Oh, and all this to have a paper-based "ID card" that you can't even laminate and if it got damaged, it's impossible to replace (even according to the police). And all this while I'm from the EU! Oh, yeah. Most Catalans I met are xenophobic unfriendly people. If you happen to find someone friendly, they're either Spanish or foreigners. Everything is extremely overpriced because it's a tourist city. But still some places are almost never open. Like whaaaat? Many places are only open from like Wed-Sat or 12:30-5pm and other stupid stuff like this. Also, many places are closed in August, and/or in the winter months. On the good side: the food scene is cool, there are many cowork offices, and getting around is easy.

3 years ago

Love BCN, if you have a good income, in my opinion overall is the best city to live in. You have a beach, city and mountains all in one. Yes it is very touristy and Airbnb is very expensive now in the summer months. Compared to places like Latin America & Africa it's safer, however, there is a lot of pickpocketing and petty theft now. Big expat community and a very diverse city. Since it is very touristy it has become quite Westernized in that sense over the years. One of the best climates in all of Europe which is a big plus and I was never bored here. Minimum 2000 Euros a month net salary to live as a local in my opinion. Every place has pro's and con's but overall I could see myself staying here long term. Alternatives are Valencia and Malaga.

3 years ago

Been living in BCN 14 years....1 get out of center. 2 grow veggies or shop in weekly markets & cut food cost by 50%. 3 look where you can be in 2 hrs flying ~ all those love to come here.

3 years ago

Nomading here is tough because there are no reasonable Airbnbs and finding a short-term apt is difficult. You have to ask yourself, is it worth coming to Barcelona? It's probably the dirtiest city in Spain, and a bit sketchy. There's more beautiful and cleaner cities like Seville where you can find a reasonably priced Airbnb.

3 years ago

One of the best cities in Europe. Beautiful, wide streets, perfect weather. Huge tech scene & everything you can imagine. Food is next level. You can take the train and in 20 mins you will be in a nice uncrowded beach. The airport is a massive hub to go anywhere. FC Barcelona, huge huge football atmosphere. Tons of beautiful coworkings. Internet is ultra fast. Prices are expensive, but so is everything right now :(

3 years ago

Insane ... which is why everyone has either left or is leaving. I lived there for over 15 years, and in the past 2 years, the prices for AirBNB has gone up 200-500% on the apartments with many being removed from AirBNB due to the government changes. I had to visit this year for work and spent 7 weeks in hotels and AirBNB for the meetings I had with clients ... cost ... over 16k in accommodation and living expenses ... but that is July and August in Barcelona now. Seems like the Americans, Russians, and northern Europeans have made the city more expensive than Dubai. Internet in the summer is poor (I should know I have a team of 8 designers living there in tiny apartments). Madrid is about half the price and is the capital of Spain ... how does that make any sense when the beach in Barcelona and within 100km of Barcelona are not even worth visiting? Startups are leaving in droves due to the shift to remote working and the fact that most skilled workers are leaving Spain completely alone. Wages are poor in respect of European rates so working for a client there is fine temporarily to fill in the gaps but not in the long term, having said that Spain is still higher than Portugal and Greece ... just. Food is good and plenty of healthy options in the city. Amazon is amazing there and very easy to topup your gadgets. Apple is about 100-200 euros more expensive than Dubai and elsewhere and the keyboards are not real English or US so shortcuts don't work on Macs the same way. Service is ok at best in bars, and ok in most restaurants. Try not to order anything from the sea at the moment as the prices have tripled in the last 2 years. Car rental is possible with full insurance at 1k per month, so you can stay in Gerona if you wish, which is a cheaper option, and even Reus or Tarragona to the south. With the 90 day (UK) visa you can add Barcelona to your weekend list as on a weekend you can cover most of the things you need to do or see. Be careful of the police in Spain as they are a law unto themselves, keep away from them as much as you can. There is still lots of thefts on the metro so keep your hands in your pockets on your wallet and phone at all times. Be very careful of the Rambla area, Reval and Golic as it is full of pickpocketers at the moment recovering from COVID by taking advantage of the bewildered newcomers that have been locked up safe in their homes. Shopping is getting worse year on year and even the larger chain retailers are moving out of Spain and Barcelona due to the lack of spendable money by the locals who are being squeezed out of the city. Expat community? There was one, but it is now down to an irregular meetup using the Nationals website mainly focused on singles and Latin Americans looking for a husband. All in all ... Barcelona has become an interesting weekend visit if you can avoid the stag and hen parties.

3 years ago

Best city in Spain. Weather is great even in December and the clubbing scene is fun. There's lots to do and it's a beautiful city overall. You have to watch out for pickpockets but as long as you aren't leaving things unattended or obviously in your pockets you'll be fine. If you're into hostels, Hostel One Paralelo is BY FAR the best hostel in the area, worth every penny. Will definitely be back, and I never say that.

4 years ago

Algunas medios de comunicación hablaban más de Barcelona por la inseguridad, pero me lancé a visitas Barcelona para conocerla y para trabajar desde mi portátil, y sinceramente es una ciudad que lo tiene todo, buen clima emprendedor, clima cálido, playa, montaña, muchas cosas que visitar y hacer y no, no es inseguro, tiene us carteristas como toda ciudad turística del mundo. De echo, e andado solo gravando por la noche, si por qué Barcelona pro la noche es ermosa y no me han robado ni nada. Para mi la mejor o entre las tres mejores de mundo para.nomadas digitales sin duda.

4 years ago

I wanted to like Barcelona but the rampant robberies just really caste a dark cloud over my 6 weeks there. Usually it is non-violent pick pocketing, but there are cases where it is much uglier than that.

4 years ago

This is still the best city on earth for digital nomads. Beautiful weather, compact city with everything you need, affordable, huge expat scene, great connections to the rest of the world, fast internet, beaches, snow-capped mountains barely 1.5h drive away etc. And no, it's not 'unsafe' by any normal standard. It's a wonderful place to be.

4 years ago

Even if the city is kind of on the decline, it still is awesome. Perfect weather all year, amazing food, vibrant local & expat community.

5 years ago

Lived in Barcelona for a year and a half. I would agree that the weather is perfect and Barcelona does have a great tech scene as well as food and has everything landscape and lifestyle wise that you could think of. Bureaucracy isn't too bad if you nip it in the bu** early and have patience. Also, some clubs are free. (Jamboree!). The metro is also, very efficient with red and purple being the busiest lines. Very walkable city too. Plenty of opportunity to meet people as well. The beaches are ok, just avoid Barceloneta as it's pretty gross and you WILL get bugged by vendors and pick pockets. Not really any violent crime unless there is a reason for it. But ok, time for the negatives. Crime... it is not super dangerous I never felt unsafe. However, I almost got jumped twice and had gotten pickpocketed 3 times. One timed almost jumped because I was waiting for the night bus in a certain neighborhood (Reval) and the bus was taking forever. Once, I had two women of the night ;) sit next to me while waiting for the metro like, on both sides while noone else was there. And almost pick pocketed while on the metro going in run and dash method. Nothing ever happened or taken because I played it smart and didn't do any dumb tourist things but please be careful. Keep your cell phone in your FRONT pocket. Keep things in a secret pocket and don't put anything of importance in the front pockets of a backpack even if you hold it up front they have their ways lol. Also, Barcelona is mostly smoke and mirrors vibe wise. A lot of things you think are amazing or authentic are built purely for tourism and not authentic. Like, the "Gothic Quarter" for example. You can also entertain all of your vices here as well. Just be very very careful as Barcelona can swiftly drag you in and under. The Catalan people are courteous but not warm or friendly. If you want to thrive here you must learn Spanish AND Catalan. The only spanish speakers that are friendly are people from outside of Cataluyna but, quickly become on of them if from Spain so, your only bet are those from Latin America. And yeah, Barcelona is family friendly no problem. Just don't live in the Reval area unless you want break-ins. It's considered a hip place though despite that. And as a single person renting a room and using Cafe Wifi and going out for a drink once a week and buying bare minimal groceries; I would say I could live off of 700 euros bare minimum which, is kind of not enough if you ask me but it was ok. I could have found a cheaper room (Mine was 430 euros) but, alas I was desperate. However, Barcelona is amazing, with an art scene that is cool, a skater's paradise if that's your scene and many more. Just don't do dumb tourist things.

5 years ago

Excelente ciudad para visitar y reune todas las cualidades para un nómada digital, e visitado varias ciudades Españolas y sin duda Barcelona es la mejor.

5 years ago

During winter is quite safe plus much cheaper. Some nightclubs are free and yet there is still a lot of people. Great por lgbtq+ community.

6 years ago

I would disagree on the safety level of this city. Living there for 8 months now I'd say from my experience that Barcelona streets aren't safe at all. Many robberies, physical and sexual agressions are frequently occurring mostly due to drug issues in some central neighborhoods. I agree on the perfect weather great food and tech scene too on the positive side.

7 years ago

great city - perfect weather , great food, great tech scene

7 years ago

✅ Warm all year

✅ Fast internet

✅ Affordable

✅ Great food

✅ Good public transport

✅ Beach and mountains nearby

✅ Active expat community

✅ Walkable city

✅ Lots of coworking spaces

✅ Very safe

✅ Lots of fun stuff to do

✅ Good air quality on average

✅ Nomads.com members liked going here

✅ Many Nomads.com members here all year round

✅ Easy to make friends

✅ Very easy to do business

✅ High quality of education

✅ Great hospitals

✅ Roads are very safe

✅ Great freedom of speech

✅ Democratic

✅ Safe for women

✅ Family friendly

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ High crime (mainly theft and pickpocketing)

❌ Very expensive housing

❌ Unfriendly locals

❌ City is dirty

❌ Complicated bureaucracy

❌ Extremely expensive

❌ Cold now

❌ Gets cold in the winter

❌ Very damp now

❌ Feels crowded

❌ People don't speak English well

❌ Many people smoke tobacco

❌ High alcohol consumption

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

11°C / 52°F cool

13°C / 55°F cool

16°C / 61°F cool

21°C / 70°F mild

25°C / 77°F warm

28°C / 82°F warm

27°C / 81°F warm

20°C / 68°F mild

14°C / 57°F cool

13°C / 55°F cool

Real (median)

11°C / 52°F
cool

13°C / 55°F
cool

16°C / 60°F
cool

21°C / 69°F
mild

25°C / 77°F
warm

26°C / 79°F
warm

26°C / 78°F
warm

19°C / 66°F
mild

14°C / 57°F
cool

14°C / 56°F
cool

Humidity

nice
62%

damp
75%

nice
68%

nice
70%

nice
69%

nice
70%

nice
74%

nice
72%

nice
66%

nice
63%

Most common

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
27mm

dry
23mm

dry
22mm

dry
49mm

dry
35mm

dry
20mm

dry
15mm

dry
25mm

rainy
76mm

rainy
60mm

rainy
63mm

dry
2mm

Cloud

pockets
32%

pockets
37%

pockets
33%

pockets
45%

pockets
43%

pockets
33%

pockets
22%

pockets
35%

pockets
41%

pockets
33%

pockets
38%

pockets
26%

Air quality

clean
19 US AQI

clean
21 US AQI

clean
20 US AQI

clean
27 US AQI

clean
24 US AQI

clean
29 US AQI

clean
27 US AQI

clean
23 US AQI

clean
22 US AQI

clean
25 US AQI

clean
19 US AQI

clean
18 US AQI

Sun

safe
2 UVI

seek shade
3 UVI

seek shade
4 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

seek shade
3 UVI

safe
2 UVI

Remote workers

3,864 people

3,630 people

4,000 people

3,350 people

5,370 people

4,928 people

4,193 people

4,632 people

5,678 people

4,442 people

4,610 people

3,682 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Based on Barcelona's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

Help pick the best photos for Barcelona and improve this page's look by tappingclicking on them and the site saves your feedback Vote photos

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🌇 Also went here1,086 people

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⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🚀 Super fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌫 Feels 6° 43° 7° 45° AQI 61 😷

✈️1h

$5,310 / mo

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⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😙 Affordable

📡 InternetWiFi 🚀 Super fast

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety good

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☀️ Feels 30° 86° 28° 82° AQI 55 😷

✈️12h

$1,277 / mo

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Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	3.19/5 (Rank #36) 3273 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍31 liked it 👎8 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Good
🤯 Overcrowding score	0% is nomad here
💵 Cost	🧐 Very expensive: $4,602 / mo
📡 Internet	🏎 Fast: 52 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Great
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥶 Too cold: 10°C50°F (feels 9°C48°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	💦 Damp: 96%
❄️ % of buildings with AC	😥 Medium: 58%
💨 Air quality (now)	😐 Moderate: 57 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	🌱 Great: 22 US AQI
👌 Safety	Good
👩 Safe for women	Okay
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Great
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Great
🤝 Lack of racism*	Bad
🎓 Education level*	High
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Good
💰 Income level*	High: $2,225 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Okay
😤 People density	😤 Dense: 16k ppl/km² (1 per 8x8m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Okay
🧳 Lost luggage*	Bad
🏥 Hospitals	Great
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Great
📶 Free WiFi in city	Okay
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Bad
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Okay
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Good
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Continent	Europe
🚩 Country	Spain
🗓️ Average trip length	8 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	52 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	🌧 10°C 50°F + 💦 Damp (96%) = feels 9°C 48°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 57 US AQI 🍃 OK
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👍 22 US AQI
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🚕 Best taxi app*	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	EUR 100 = USD 116
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
💻 Best coworking space	Betahaus
🚰 Tap water	👌 Yes, safe to drink
♻️ Return rate	👍15% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	7,624,100 visitors
📸 Tourists now	146,116 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	1,600,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$26,695 / year
😤 Population density	😤 crowded: 8x8m (64m²) per person
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 44% 👱‍♀️ 56%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 53% 👱‍♀️ 47%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 79% 👱‍♀️ 21%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Amazon
🏠 Apartment listings	Idealista
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	EasyJet
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Iberia

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$4,602 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$2,645 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$5,764 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$1,647 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$4,064 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$2,956 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$1,384 / month
🏠 Median home price	$464,260
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$190 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$97 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$394 / month
🍛 Dinner	$14
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$2
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$6
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$2
👩‍🏫 International school	$12,265 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$27 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$8 / trip
💰 Estimated tax on $50,000	$11,365
💰 Estimated tax on $100,000	$33,727
💰 Estimated tax on $250,000	$110,442