600€ each month for an apartment. 35€ for lunch. 186€ here, 12€ there… As a result, money disappears at the speed of light. How to avoid this? Here are several recommendations.
Accommodation
The first and perhaps the main ingredient in our dish called “reasonable economy” will be accommodation. Because that will be the biggest part of your expenses in Barcelona. And here are some tips which will help you save money.
- Let’s start with the accommodation search. Try to find a place on your own, without the help of agents, because you will spend a decent amount on agents. You can search in the Idealista and Badi apps. In the second one, there are more ads placed directly by owners.
- The average cost of a room is 450-500 euros. If you see a good but very cheap option, be careful, most likely they are scammers. Also, to avoid problems and losing money, make sure you sign a contract ( and read it carefully! ).
- The cost of a room or apartment depends on many factors. The cheapest options are not in the city centre. However, Barcelona has a good public transport system, so it won’t be a problem. If you check out the districts, Nou Barris is one of the most affordable districts, along with Sant Andreu and some parts of Sant Martí, Sants-Montjuïc, and Horta-Guinardó. On the contrary, the districts of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Eixample, Gràcia, Ciutat Vella, and Les Corts are the most expensive.
Food
The next station on the way to an economical and high-quality lifestyle will be food. One of the most affordable supermarkets is Mercadona, also Dia is pretty cheap. But it is better to buy fruit and vegetables in the local markets.
Of course, it’s more economical to cook your own food, but always eating at home can be boring. To diversify your menu, try what is called “menu del día”, this is the equivalent of a business lunch. The average cost of a “menu del día” is 10-15 euros. And here are a few places where you can satisfy your hunger with a tasty meal for a small cost:
- Bar Morryssom
- El Señorío de Peru
- Sopa
- La Pepita
- Cervecería Catalana
- Can Codina
- La Muscleria
- Thai Barcelona
- Ciudad Condal
- Hostal Olivera
To be continued…
Entertainment and cultural recreation
So, we have covered our basic needs. It’s time to move on to entertainment and cultural recreation. There are quite a few opportunities to save money here. For example, art fans will enjoy free days in museums. Do you want to know when they are? Here is the information:
City History Museum
A must-see is Barcelona’s History Museum where you will experience first-hand the Roman city.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
Natural History Museum
There is a good permanent exhibition, “Planet Life”, that represents the relationship between man and earth. Plus there are also temporary exhibitions which are worth checking out.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
Frederic Marès Museum
Frederic Marès was a university professor, sculptor, and collector. His public work includes the fountain in Plaça Catalunya and the steps leading up to Montjüic, among other places in the city. His passion also lay in collecting art. That is why after his death he left a truly impressive collection, which you can enjoy in this museum.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
Botanical Gardens of Barcelona
Barcelona Botanical Gardens offers a 14-hectare oasis and splendid views of the city.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
El Born Cultural & Memorial Centre (El Born CCM)
It’s interesting that originally this impressive iron structure housed a food market. However, during some renovation work inside the market, an archaeological dig was done revealing beautifully preserved paths and house foundations from the previous neighbourhood which once stood here.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)
The Contemporary Cultural Centre of Barcelona is a “space for creation, research, exhibition, and debate on contemporary culture”. Exhibitions here are always changing, so it is worth checking their website to find out what is on show.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm.
Ethnological & Cultures of the World Museum
The Ethnological and World Cultures Museum was born thanks to a group of passionate intellectuals in ethnology who wanted to preserve objects relating to traditions.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
Music Museum
Music fans will find here a collection of around 2,000 instruments from all over the world of which 500 are on display.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm, Thursday after 6 pm & the first Sunday of the month.
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum was once Barcelona’s Royal Shipyard. It is a perfectly preserved example of Gothic architecture as its construction began in the 13th century.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm.
Design Museum (HUB)
My personal favourite. Everything strikes you here, starting with the unusual shape of the building.
FREE TIMES: Every Sunday after 3 pm and the first Sunday of the month.
Catalonia’s National Art Museum (MNAC)
The impressive building of this museum was constructed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition. It is one of the largest museums in Spain and has a majestic avenue leading up to it from the very impressive Placa d’Espanya.
FREE TIMES: First Sunday of the month from 10 am to 3 pm & Saturdays after 3 pm.
Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes
This Gothic Monastery was founded in 1326 and now it is one of the national treasures. Within its walls, you will find a big collection of art and artefacts like furniture, gold & silver, pottery, and manuscripts.
FREE TIMES: First Sunday of the month.
Picasso Museum
This gem is located in the medieval part of the city and proudly exhibits around 4,000 works by Pablo Picasso.
FREE TIMES: First Sunday of the month & Thursdays from 4 pm to 7 pm. Don’t forget to book your tickets online. Actually, this advice can be extended to all museums.
Palau Güell – designed by Gaudí
It is not one of Antoni Gaudí’s best-known buildings, but it was one of his earliest important commissions. And there is so much to see, for example, impressive wrought-iron works, woodwork, ceramics, stained glass, and much, much more.
FREE TIMES: First Sunday of the month.
Catalonia’s History Museum
If you want to take a journey into Catalan history, I can recommend the Catalan History Museum. Here you will travel in time from Roman Christianity and the Roman Empire through the history of Counts and Kings, up to the Spanish Civil War and the present day. Some of the exhibits are interactive.
FREE TIMES: First Sunday of the month from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
Night Life
The main recommendation here is very simple: buy your tickets online well in advance . Like this,
- you get the best market price and can save up to 30%.
- you will be sure to get in.
- you get to skip the long lines.
Our economics lesson has come to an end. I hope you now know how to save more money and at the same time enjoy living in this bright city.
By Lilya Syromiatnikova
@digidogs
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