Should you visit Barcelona or Reykjavik?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Barcelona and Reykjavik 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.
Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the capital and largest city in the country of Iceland. The city is where the vast majority of the country's population resides and the urban area has about 200,000 residents. The city is sprawling, with a large area covered in suburbs. The the city center is quite compact, with many interesting and colorful houses. There are a lot of things that attract tourists to this city, including an interesting culture and history as well as plenty of shopping and dining opportunities.
Which city is cheaper, Reykjavik or Barcelona?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Barcelona is €123, while the average daily cost in Reykjavik is €188. 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 Reykjavik in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Barcelona is €150. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
The prices for places to stay in Reykjavik can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €106, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €212.
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 Reykjavik cost around €23 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 €9.20.
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Food
Meals for one day
Barcelona €27
Reykjavik €23
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.
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Live from Barcelona to China: Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
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Live from Potato Gnocchi Online Cooking Class:
$23
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Barcelona organic dinner in a beautiful rooftop garden:
$35
-
Paella Cooking Experience + Boqueria Market Tour:
$48
-
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
Typical Food prices in Reykjavik
For Reykjavik, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Dinner (Fish Market)
€170
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Reykjavik
For Reykjavik, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Exclusive dinner with a local family:
$112
-
Weekend Reykjavik Food Tour with a stop at the Reykjavik Flea Market:
$123
-
Dinner with an Icelandic Artist in Reykjavik Home:
$151
-
Secret Lagoon, Buffet Dinner, and Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavik:
$159
-
South Coast: Volcanoes, waterfalls & Viking dinner at the Viking house:
$179
-
Private Reykjavik Food Tour:
$198
-
South Coast: Small group glacier hike, fire & ice with dinner at Viking lodge:
$199
-
Cook and Dine Icelandic Cooking Class Gourmet Lunch or Dinner:
$204
-
Kopar Fine Dining Dinner and Northern Lights Cruise from Reykjavik:
$229
-
West Iceland Private Food Tour from Reykjavik:
$723
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.
To get around in Reykjavik, the average visitor spends €35 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
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:
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Ultra - Barcelona Private Transfer from City Centre to Barcelona Cruise Port:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Barcelona Private Transfer from Barcelona Cruise Port to City Centre:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Barcelona Private Airport Transfer city centre to El Prat Airport BCN:
$9.41
-
Transfers From Cruise Port to Barcelona Main Train Station( Sants Train Station):
$30
-
Transfer to Montserrat Monastery from Barcelona:
$33
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Barcelona El Prat Airport to Barcelona City:
$39
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Barcelona City to Barcelona El Prat Airport:
$39
-
Transfer in private minivan from Barcelona City to Barcelona el Prat Airport:
$55
-
Transfer from Barcelona to Valencia or viceversa:
$498
-
Transfer from Barcelona to Port Aventura Park:
$435
-
Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona CITY - ROUND TRIP:
$124
-
Transfer from Barcelona (any hotel or address) to Barcelona Airport (BCN):
$61
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Reykjavik
Also for Reykjavik, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Reykjavik Private Airport Transfer from Cruise Port to Keflavík Airport:
$8.71
-
Airport Express Shared Departure transfer from Reykjavik City to Keflavik Airport:
$28
-
Airport Transfer in Iceland from Reykjavik City to Keflavik Airport One Way:
$31
-
Blue Lagoon Return Bus Transfer from Reykjavik:
$33
-
Airport Express Shared Departure Transfer from Reykjavik Hotels to Keflavik Airport:
$37
-
Airport Transfer in Iceland from Reykjavik City to Keflavik Airport with Hotel Pick Up:
$43
-
Door to Door Premium Airport transfer from Reykjavik Hotels to Keflavik International Airport:
$63
-
Return Economy Airport Transfer between Keflavik International Airport and Reykjavik City:
$66
-
Transfer to & from Blue Lagoon:
$78
-
Secret Lagoon with transfer:
$80
-
Keflavik International Airport Private Taxi Transfer:
$81
-
3-Hour Lava Caving Tour Including Transfers from Reykjavik:
$84
Is it cheaper to fly into Barcelona or Reykjavik?
Prices for flights to both Reykjavik 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.
In Reykjavik, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €55 per person, per day.
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
-
'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
-
2 hours Exclusive Sunrise Sailing Experience from Port Vell:
$335
Typical Entertainment prices in Reykjavik
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Reykjavik's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Art Museum
€10
-
Wine and Spa
€28
Tours and Activities in Reykjavik
For Reykjavik, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Admission Ticket to Viking World Museum:
$14
-
Aurora Reykjavík, The Northern Lights Center Entrance Ticket:
$16
-
Skip the Line: Volcano House Admission Ticket:
$17
-
Tales from Iceland Admission Ticket:
$18
-
Skip the Line: Admission Ticket - The Culture House Reykjavik:
$19
-
Skip the Line: The National Museum of Iceland Ticket:
$20
-
Whales Of Iceland Admission Ticket:
$26
-
Bryggjan Brugghús Craft Beer Tour:
$27
-
Reykjavik Shore Excursion: City Sightseeing Reykjavik Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$32
-
Perlan Wonders of Iceland - Ice cave & Nature Exhibition Ticket:
$36
-
Reykjavik Escape Game Experience - Hangover:
$36
-
Reykjavik Escape Game Experience - Prison Break 1:
$36
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.
Typically, people visiting Reykjavik spend on average €21 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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:
$9.08
-
Backpacker Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Barcelona Halloween Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Generation Pub Crawl in Barcelona:
$19
-
Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$20
-
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
-
Wine Tasting near Sagrada Familia:
$47
-
Fun Wine Tasting in Barcelona with a Sommelier!:
$53
Typical Alcohol prices in Reykjavik
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Reykjavik are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Reykjavik
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Reykjavik:
-
Private Reykjavik Pub Crawl:
$181
-
Reykjavik Food & Wine Tour:
$249
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Barcelona and Reykjavik, we can see that Reykjavik is more expensive. And not only is Barcelona much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Barcelona would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Barcelona and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Reykjavik would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Reykjavik than you might in Barcelona.
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