Should you visit Barcelona or Milan?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Barcelona and Milan can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of over 1.5 million people. It's also the capital of Catalonia and is located on the northeastern part of the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona is one of the country's most popular travel destinations because of its rich history, interesting architecture, and vibrant culture. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic games and that had a strong influence over tourism in the area. Many different neighborhoods were renovated and rebuilt. Modern design became the norm in many parts of the city, although there is still an old city feel and many efforts at preservation.
Milan
Milan, known to most of the world as the capital of fashion and style, is also the heart of Italian industry and economics. Between the stock exchange, cathedrals and boutiques, this metropolis is a city-lover's dream come true. It is an escape from the stresses of the real world, and provides a playground for all the world's most lavish luxuries.
Which city is cheaper, Milan or Barcelona?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Barcelona is €122, while the average daily cost in Milan is €133. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Barcelona and Milan in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Barcelona is €148. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Travelers usually pay around €152 for a double occupancy room in Milan If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The price of a meal in Barcelona can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €27 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €11 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
On average, meal and food prices in Milan cost around €31 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €12.
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Food
Meals for one day
Barcelona €27
Milan €31
Typical Food prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of dining costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
Hot Cocoa & Churro
€4.15
-
Sandwich
€1.70
-
Baguette & Horchata
€3.80
-
Tapas on the beach
€8.28
-
Gelatto
€2.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Barcelona
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Barcelona.
-
Live from Barcelona to China: Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
-
Live from Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
-
Barcelona organic dinner in a beautiful rooftop garden:
$35
-
Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona:
$49
-
Hands-on Brunch Cooking Class with Bottomless Mimosas!:
$50
-
Born district food tour and tasting in Barcelona:
$51
-
Barcelona Street Food Tour: Local Market & Gothic Quarter with Expert Guide:
$52
-
Street Food Tour & Gothic Quater Sightseeing with Local Expert:
$52
-
Bus and Walking Tour with Dinner:
$58
-
Tasty Barcelona Street Food Tour With Local Market Visit:
$59
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show and Dinner Ticket:
$62
-
Traveling Spoon Seafood Paella and Sangria Private Online Cooking Class:
$66
Typical Food prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Milan:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Milan
For Milan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Florence: Private Family Food Tour:
$46
-
Dinner and Show at Maison Milano:
$66
-
Home Dinner Experience:
$70
-
Traditional Pasta, Pizza or Risotto Cooking Class:
$70
-
Homemade Tiramisu Cooking Class in Milan:
$72
-
Half-Day Food Tour on Foot:
$78
-
Afternoon Food Tour with Evening Food Tour in Milan:
$78
-
3-Hour Traditional Home Cooking Class:
$84
-
Pasta, Pizza & Dessert Evening Cooking Class:
$89
-
Dining experience at a local's home in Milan with show cooking:
$106
-
Half-Day Italian Cooking Class in Milano:
$106
-
Food Tour of Brera:
$110
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Barcelona is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent €15 per person, per day, on local transportation in Barcelona.
Milan's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €28 per person, per day on transportation in Milan.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
10 Trip Metro Ticket
€7.80
-
Airport Bus
€5.00
-
Metro
€2.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Barcelona
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Barcelona:
-
Private 5 days in Barcelona with private transfers and private tours:
$1,524
-
Private 5 days in Barcelona with tours and transfers and pick up and drop off:
$1,213
-
Private Round-Trip transfer from Barcelona Airport or Barcelona city to Andorra:
$876
-
Private 3 days in Barcelona with private tours and transfers:
$796
-
Montserrat Monastery Tour & Hot Air Balloon Flight, Including Transfer, Lunch, Photos, Cava:
$791
-
Private Transfer & Tours to Andorra from Barcelona 10 Hours:
$597
-
Barcelona city or airport to Andorra Private Transfer:
$564
-
Private Transfer from Barcelona travel to Andorra:
$554
-
Transfer Barcelona-Madrid:
$531
-
Private Round-Trip Transfer to Montserrat from Barcelona:
$529
-
Private Transfer: Andorra to Barcelona City or BCN Airport by Luxury Van:
$522
-
Barcelona city to Andorra Private Transfer:
$520
Typical Local Transportation prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Milan:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Milan
Also for Milan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Bus Transfer Milan Bergamo Airport to Milan Central Station:
$6.71
-
Ultra - Milan Private Airport Transfer from city centre to Milan train station:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Milan Private Airport Transfer from city Milan centre to Malpensa (MXP):
$9.41
-
Ultra - Milan private transfer from train station to Milan city centre:
$9.41
-
Milan Hotel to Linate Airport: Shared Departure Transfer (max 8 people):
$21
-
From Luxury Transfers to Fidenza Village:
$22
-
Private Departure Van Transfer: Hotel to Linate Airport Milan (LIN):
$31
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Milan Linate Airport to Milan City:
$40
-
Private Departure Transfer from Milan City to Milan Linate Airport:
$40
-
Private Business Transfer from Milan City Center to Linate Airport (LIN):
$41
-
Private Departure Van Transfer: Hotel to Bergamo Airport (BGY):
$46
-
Private Departure Van Transfer: Hotel to Malpensa Airport Milan (MXP):
$46
Is it cheaper to fly into Barcelona or Milan?
Prices for flights to both Milan and Barcelona change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Barcelona typically cost an average of €27 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Milan can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €25 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Typical Entertainment prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Barcelona are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Barcelona
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Barcelona are as follows:
-
#1dayBarcelona. 6-Hour Action Packed Private City Discovery Tour:
$549
-
"Gaudi’s Pedrera: The Origins" Night Show and Ticket:
$41
-
'Game Of Thrones' Small Group Tour in Girona from Barcelona:
$125
-
1 hour private sailing tour:
$158
-
1,5 hour Vermut & Sailing Experience Barcelona with drinks and snacks!:
$41
-
1-hour Private Speedboat Cruise from Barcelona:
$372
-
1.5-Hour Sights of Barcelona E-Bike Tour Led by a Local Guide:
$34
-
2 Hours Private Sailing Tour for Family and Friends:
$316
-
2 Hours Running Tour in Barcelona with Local Guide:
$35
-
2 hour Private Sunset Sailing Cruise Barcelona:
$372
-
2 hour Sailing Cruise Barcelona:
$47
-
2 hour Sunset Sailing Cruise Barcelona:
$47
Typical Entertainment prices in Milan
For Milan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Stairs to Duomo Rooftop
€7.00
Tours and Activities in Milan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Milan.
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Branca Tower Entrance Ticket:
$6.71
-
Private 1.5-Hour Kickstart Tour:
$9.73
-
Crypt of Leonardo Admission Ticket:
$12
-
Entry Ticket to the Duomo Terraces:
$12
-
Leonardo3 - The World of Leonardo Museum Entrance Ticket:
$13
-
Skip-the-Line Duomo Guided Tour:
$13
-
Bagatti Valsecchi Museum Ticket Entrance:
$14
-
Milan Cathedral: Rooftop Ticket:
$15
-
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: Highline Admission Tickets:
$15
-
Leonardo3 The World of Leonardo: Tickets for the Interactive Exhibition:
$15
-
Leonardo's Vineyard with Guided Tour Option:
$15
-
Milan Dark Ghost Tour on Foot:
$16
Alcohol
The average person spends about €14 on alcoholic beverages in Barcelona per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Milan, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €19.
Sample the Local Flavors in Barcelona
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Barcelona:
-
Columbus Monument with Optional Wine Tasting:
$7.16
-
Estrella Damm Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting:
$9.54
-
Backpacker Pub Crawl:
$18
-
The Original Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Barcelona Halloween Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Generation Pub Crawl in Barcelona:
$19
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$20
-
Barcelona Wine Tasting: Catalan and Spanish Wines:
$21
-
Wine Tasting Experience in Barcelona:
$22
-
Opera Samfaina: Food and Wine Tasting Interactive Experience in Barcelona:
$26
-
Wine tasting & tapas:
$39
-
Barcelona Guided Local Wine Tasting Tour:
$44
Typical Alcohol prices in Milan
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Milan:
-
Cocktail at a Bar
€8.40
-
Beer
€3.35
Sample the Local Flavors in Milan
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Milan:
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$32
-
Wine Tasting Experience in the City Centre:
$40
-
Milan Wine Tasting Experience:
$45
-
Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting Experience in Milan:
$52
-
Brera Wine Tasting Tour:
$54
-
From Franciacorta Wine Tasting and Shopping Tour:
$55
-
Last Supper & Wine Tasting Tour:
$71
-
Wine Tasting with an Italian Sommelier:
$83
-
Wine Tastings with Chef Luigi Gandola:
$93
-
From Sparkling Wine Tasting Tour:
$100
-
Food and Wine Tasting enjoying the New Milan:
$127
-
From Half-Day Franciacorta Wine Tour & Tasting:
$137
When comparing the travel costs between Barcelona and Milan, we can see that Milan is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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