Barcelona costliest Spanish city for tourists

Barcelona’s beauty, vibe and unique architecture comes at a price

The most expensive place for tourists to visit in Spain is Barcelona, according to a recent study by travel website TripAdvisor.

The online poll assessed 52 Spanish locations, ranking each destination on costs likely to be incurred by the average tourist, such as a night at a four-star hotel, cocktails for two, a two-course dinner with wine, taxi fares and general entertainment…

The study found that Barcelona is three times as expensive as Spain’s cheapest destination, Lugo, and just ahead of Ibiza and Majorca.

A visit to Barcelona will set the average couple back around €229.11 per night, with Ibiza costing €221.43 and Palma in Majorca €217.97.

In contrast, a visit to Lugo will cost a mere €115.73 for an average day’s stay for two – less than the average for a night’s accommodation in Barcelona (€145). Taxis in Barcelona are also more expensive than elsewhere, with the average fare costing €14.82.

However, you have to head to the Spanish capital, Madrid, to sup down Spain’s most expensive cocktails, which will set you back an eye-watering €26.10 for two. Dinner is most expensive in Ibiza (an average of €59.63), while a typical package holiday on the Costa del Sol is not only the cheapest in Spain but also one of the cheapest in Europe.

Despite Barcelona’s expense, it is still an immensely popular city for tourists – TripAdvisor’s research found that it remains the most visited city in the country.

Meanwhile, the Costa del Sol’s “capital”, Málaga, can rest easy in the knowledge that not only is it one of the cheapest, most accessible and most popular cities in Spain, it is also the best place to live, according to a recent poll.