Living in Barcelona

Find out why Barcelona is the place to be, what you need to know to settle into the city and how TBS Education can help you with your student life so you can get the most out of your time here, both academically and socially.

Barcelona, a city for study and work

Get to know a modern, cosmopolitan and active city that’s full of opportunities:

  • 2nd place on foreign investment strategy (fDi, 2025)
  • 2nd startup hub preferred by founders from UE countries to create a startup (ACCIÓ, 2023).
  • 2nd place for Sustainable Development Goals in Spain (SDGs, 2024).
  • 2nd place as the best student city in Spain (QS, 2025)

  • 3rd best city to build a startup (Startup Heatmap Europe , 2023).
  • 4th best city europe in innovation, quality of life, and business investment (Resonance Consultancy, 2025).
  • 4th city in the BCW 2021 Ranking of Sports Cities, 2021 (TSE Consulting and Around the rings magazine).
  • 5th European city with more startups (Barcelona & Catalonia Startup Hub, 2025)
  • 6th most appealing city in Europe to invest (European Investor Intentions Survey 2023 by CBRE, 2023).
  • 7th city in the list of cities as the most powerful tourist brands (Saffron City Brand Barometer 2023 ranking).
  • 8th place on leading hub for technology investment opportunities on Europe (State of Tech, 2024).
  • 8th city in the world to live, visit, research, and work (World Best Cities 2024 ranking).
  • 10th place on best European city on human capital and lifestyle (fDi, 2025)
  • 18th list of most competitive cities in the world by Global Power City Index (2023).
  • 41st place as the best student city in the world (QS, 2025)
  • Venue of the Mobile World Congress and one of Europe’s major business tourism capitals (Convention Bureau, 2021).
Living in Barcelona
  • 18ºC on average: Winters in Barcelona are mild while the summers are warm.
  • 80% sunny: Barcelona’s weather is predominantly sunny with little rain.
  • 4.2 km of beaches: The city has seven beaches, ten minutes from the center.
  • 2,000+ years: More than 2,000 years of history have left their mark on the city.
  • 1.6 M population: Barcelona has 1.6 million inhabitants, 18% of whom are foreigners.
  • 2,022+ startups: Barcelona has one of the most developed startup ecosystems.

How much does it cost to live in Barcelona?

At the following link you can check the cost of living and day-to-day necessities in the Catalan capital:

Cost of living

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