Livability scores

• Walkabilityⓘ 18 / 20

  Central Barcelona locations have Walk Scores near 100 and the city prioritises pedestrian space through single-platform, pedestrian-priority streets and an active urban mobility plan.

  Sources:

  • Walk Score – Barcelona location 100/100
  • Walk Score – 32 Carrer Cera 100/100
  • Barcelona mobility basic information
  • Barcelona streets with pedestrian priority
• Rail Connectivityⓘ 9.3 / 10

  Barcelona is served by multiple Rodalies de Catalunya commuter lines, AVE and long-distance Renfe routes from hubs like Sants and Estació de França, plus the FGC suburban rail network.

  Sources:

  • Renfe Rodalia Barcelona network map
  • Renfe Rodalies Barcelona station list (CSV)
  • FGC lines and network map
  • List of railway stations in Barcelona
• Public Transitⓘ 9 / 10

  TMB operates an 8-line, 125 km metro with 165 stations and over 100 bus lines carrying hundreds of millions of trips annually under ATM coordination.

  Sources:

  • TMB transport figures (metro and bus)
  • ATM Mobility Observatory – TMB basic data
  • TMB metro and bus maps
  • OECD – Public transport governance in Greater Barcelona
• Affordabilityⓘ 5.3 / 10

  Numbeo shows moderate cost-of-living indices around 59–62 but high rents and property price-to-income ratios above 12, making overall affordability only mid-range.

  Sources:

  • Numbeo – Cost of Living in Barcelona (EN)
  • Numbeo – Coste de vida en Barcelona (ES)
  • Numbeo – Cost of Living index within Quality of Life
  • Numbeo – Madrid vs Barcelona cost comparison
• Safety 7 / 10
• Air Qualityⓘ 6 / 10

  Barcelona’s air quality is generally acceptable but PM10 slightly exceeds EU 2030 targets, while NO2 and O3 meet them, reflecting moderate pollution levels.

  Sources:

  • EU Air Quality – Barcelona 2030 compliance status
  • Barcelona air quality stations dataset
  • Barcelona Open Data – air quality announcement
  • IQAir – Barcelona Air Quality Index
• Quality Of Lifeⓘ 8 / 10

  Numbeo rates Barcelona’s Quality of Life Index around 145–153 as high, with strong healthcare, climate and commute scores but weaker pollution and housing affordability.

  Sources:

  • Numbeo – Quality of Life in Barcelona (EN)
  • Numbeo – Calidad de Vida en Barcelona (ES)
  • Numbeo – Current Quality of Life rankings
  • Eurostat – City statistics (quality of life framework)
• Food Cultureⓘ 10 / 10

  Barcelona’s gastronomy is highly rated, with 29 Michelin-starred restaurants and tourism reports scoring local food above 8.7/10, showing a rich, top-tier food scene.

  Sources:

  • Michelin – All starred restaurants in Barcelona
  • Michelin – Barcelona restaurants listing
  • Barcelona Tourism Observatory – gastronomy report
  • Turisme de Barcelona – enogastronomia overview
• Car Free Practicalityⓘ 9 / 10

  Barcelona’s Superblocks and Urban Mobility Plan aim to cut private car trips, expand 300 km of bike lanes and reclaim streets for pedestrians, making car-free living feasible.

  Sources:

  • EBRD Green Cities – superblocks and mobility plan
  • Barcelona government measure on Superblocks
  • Superilla Barcelona programme
  • Changing urban design for health – Superblock model

Advantages & drawbacks

Monthly costs

• Estimated monthly cost €2,200 – €3,200
• Monthly transit pass €22