Living in Barcelona

http://www.bcn.es/guia/welcomea.htm<- map of barcelona to show you were things are and how to get there.  The best thing about this site is you can show the metro stations and even restaurants!! great if you want to go somewhere and find a bar or club afterwards.

http://barcelonareporter.com/<- this basically translates the local news into english, it's not comprehensive but lets you get some idea of what is going on before you learn spanish.

http://www.olelanguages.com/<- this is my spanish language school.   I've only been to this school butI think it's amazing that I'm going to my 12th week and I have never had the desire to miss a class.   

Jaime

That's not exactly the subject of this post, but I think it's time to share my experience from Barcelona. I spent a few months in this fantastic city in 2000.

Ok let's start with the must see places in Barcelona:
>La plaza de Catalunya (in the town center)
>las Ramblas de catalunya,
>la plaza d'España by night for its beautiful fountain,
>la barceloneta,
>el parque guell (my favourite Gaudi's creation),
>la casa batllo and la pedrera (built by Gaudi),
>la sagrada familia (Gaudi again), but don't visit it, it's not worth
>el parque de la Ciutadella (on Sundays)
>El palacio de la musica (this place is fantastic!)
>Montjuic
>La calle escudellers (close to las Ramblas)

and much more!!!

Don't go to these places for a drink because they're for tourists:
>El puerto olimpico (you gonna pay double price)
>Las ramblas de mar (same than above)

Places I like
>La champaneria (this is typical ... you'll like this place) around la Barceloneta
>What's the name of this pub very close to the wax museum? (around las Ramblas de Catalunya)
>all these small pubs and restaurants "en el barrio Chino" (old Barcelona), en "la calle Escudellers"

that's it for today I may add things little by little

A possiblity for finding housing.  We did this here, and it was expensive, but we went to a real estate agent, they found us a place quickly - we had the apartment the day after we arrived, and we were lucky, it is great.  They were very helpful, and knew the layout of the area well.
Even drove us around to buy beds and basic furnishings.

An excellent experience

Jobs.  There are probably a couple of hundred language schools in Barcelona, and they are always looking for teachers.  If you spend a bit of time getting the CELTA accreditation, which you can do almost anywhere, you are a shoe in.  The working hours are fine if you are single, but the pits if you have kids. Everyone takes classes at lunch and after work.  The pay isn't fantastic, but it could be enough.  There are people coming and going all the time, so they are always hiring. 

Most young people in Barcelona share their apartments.  4 or 5 people living in a place together is not uncommon, and they may not have known each other at all well before they moved in together.  This is often set up through friends, but I suspect that notice boards at the Universities are full of people looking for housemates.  If you can read a little Castillian, so much the better.

Hello from Sweden
My wife and I are considering relocating to catalunya. We are veterinarians and would like to work with pet owing expats from scandinavia or english sp countries. We are both Swedish and American. Do you know of any real estate agents for the countrside surrounding barcelona? Many of the web sites seem to be offering only very expensive properties.

Hi Yankinsweden,

There are many many many real estate agents, most don't have websites, or if they do they are in Catalan or Spanish.  That is for the small towns.  We're in a relatively small town outside Barcelona and there are 3 vet clinics in this place, pop 6500, so there should be work, and at least 5 real estate agents.  Do you need to check to see if your veterenary credentials will be valid here?  I have no idea, although we have a friend who is a vet in Barcelona...check the pay scale as well here.

Have you looked around and thought about what area around BCN you'd like to be in?  Inland, by the coast?  What size town? Wine region? The real estate agents seem to be very localised so you probably want to narrow down where you would like to stay and then look. Look at the transport to and from Barcelona carefully as well, neighbouring towns can have radically different service. Post again when you have some idea, and I will try to find you some resources in those areas. 

immobilier= real estate
piso=apartment
casa=house
lloguer=rent
venda=sell
compra=buy
finca=property

This is my at best moderate Catalan, but if you google search with combinations of those words on pages from Spain, you may get beyond what is offered to foreigners.  Though if you want to work caring for the animals of Brits, you need to be near where they live.   Good luck.

Thank you for your generous reply. We visited Barcelona just before Christmas and what impressed us the most were the people and their positive attitude. They are the exact opposite from Swedes. As we are 51 now It feels like a good time to do something else. We have property in the states but our children will soon be spread out in Europe so we want to stay this side of the puddle for a while longer but experience something new. We are interested in the inland as we are used to living on a farm. Any areas that you can recommend? I will probably fly down and rent a car for a few days this spring and explore the area. I am greatful for any tips.

Picture me thinking...I'll do a little homework and get back to you.  A few questions first, will you get a car?  How important is ready access to medical care or public transport, and what do you like to do with your time?  Party town or walk in the hills?  How rural do you want, just outside a very small village, or a bit bigger?  How big a farm?

Rural is what we are after - our party days are over but we would like to live within an hour from a larger town -  outside a small village possibly. Even a place that needs a litte renovation is Ok. A few acres would allow me to bring our old horses with us. If you can recommend some areas I will check them out. Once again thank you.
Mark

OK, here are some thoughts.  If you want to work with ex-pat brits/americans and swedes, find out where they congregate, because they do, and there are some areas that cater to beer-swilling football hooligans, and some to retired folks and their two dogs....I would do this homework first and most carefully, and you can robably do most of it in a few days on the web....in fact I think one of the blogs in the directory is run by a guy who does a zine kind of thing for ex-pat brits...

Then look inland from there(most ex-pats are on the coast)...the place is covered in little 'fincas' these are properties with a little house, usually, and a little land and usually a lot of Olive trees...which you could then join the locals in taking to the local press and getting your own olive oil.  which would be cool.

That said, the housing market in Spain is insane, and has been acknowledged internationally as being that way...you may want to be very cautious about investing your money in Spanish real-estate, and possibly would be better off renting a place that needs superficial TLC, rather than buying a place and working like a dog on it, only to find the bottom drop out of the market and your stuck....

Honestly, I cannot think of a place that would be bad...some will be more expensive of course, the Penedes region is a major wine growing region, so I imagine the property is pretty pricey....get to near BCN and it is commuter heaven....

I'd look for the ex-pat's first, and then follow badly paved roads away....

Does that help at all?

If you ever plan to move to BARCELONA, DON NOT waste your money, time or energy unless you are aware of these basic facts or you may regret yourself. It would have saved me the time and day if someone could have been honest enough to tell me this:

HOUSING:
When I rented my flat at 1200 euro a month I was unaware that almost all renters will expect you to pay 6-8 months of the full rent as a deposit. In addition to that, you need to pay the first rent plus generally the equivalent of 1 month rent as commission to the agency that handles the rental (and 90% of places are rented via agencies).
My flat was rented to me as 85 sqmtrs. The fact is that it is only 65 sq mtrs...
If anything goes wrong, there is no obligation by your landlord to repair anything even if your rent is sky-high for a city where the average income is no more than 700-1200 euro a month for a 10-12 hours work day. I have a friend who had no use of her oven for one year to get it repaired; the landlord never cared to replace or repair it even when she had promised to do it on the tenants move-on. This is common here.

WORK and SALARIES:
I am lucky because I have my own business and earn really good money. If you will look for work, good luck to find one. Best way to go about is to already have employment in place before you come to Barcelona. If you even find one, you will get jobs for around 600-1200 euro a month at the most.

I have a very dynamic friend who is a former executive with past salary of 50K a month. In Barcelona she applied for similar work and the requirement was for her to know 4 languages fluently and have advanced executive skills... what was the salary offered? 1300 Euro a month which included a 2 hour drive to and from work.

And don't forget that on this salary if you actually want to rent a flat, be prepared to pay between 1000 (often outside the city) to 2000 euro a month for an average flat ranging from 65-100 sqmtrs. How is this possible when you don't even earn that much? Well, it's not possible so people cramp many roommates into one flat on tiny room surfaces. And you'd have to pay anywhere from 300-500 a month for that tiny room. Sometimes you will be extremely lucky and find a clean room for 200 a month but that is very rare and these rooms are often in horrendous conditions that a North European would not be used to.

LANGUAGE:
In Barcelona they expect you to speak spanish from day one, and if you don't they can get very snooty with you and often comment on it. Forget the fact that they have been a member of the EU for the past ten years and is one of the few countries in EU where people speak only one language. I know three languages fluently, but unfortunately spanish is not one of them and it takes time to learn a language fluently if you work, unless you go to full-time classes.
Language classes are expensive here. Be prepared to pay anywhere from 300-800 a month for those classes, and this does not guarantee that they are even good. Most spanish classes contain a teacher that will only speak spanish. He or she probably don't even know english. This means that you won't learn the language the correct way, with accurate grammar, punctuations or anything - unless you learn this on your own time. And this even if you have paid 800 a month for your class. Reason being, of course, that they can't speak english to truly explain the structure of the language to you, or even translate words you don't know accurately in class.

CRIME:
Barcelona is a city that has extreme crime rate. The media and statistics only show a tiny fraction of actual crime rate because most people have given up on reporting crimes. Ask any Catalan if he/she will report a crime would he/she be subject to it. The answer will often be 'no'. Although actual violent crimes (shootings, murder) are not that common, or as common as ex. Brazil, crime levels here are far, far greater than in ex. New York.
There is no law or police to help or protect you if you are a victim of a crime. A friend of mine has been robbed 8 times within 10 months. Only the first two times did she report it to the police and after that realized what a waste it was when they told her she could go to jail for making a "false claim". Instead of going after the criminals, they intimidate the victim. In fact, ALL my friend have been robbed at least once in Barcelona within 3-4 months. Did police help them? No. Police did not even show up in most cases. Crime is so bad that Ramblas has over 170 robberies A DAY. You have to cling to your purse even while in a restaurant and have it strapped to your body. Tell me any other city in the western world where the crime is that extreme?! Barceona is not like the rest of Europe; it is the European version of Brazil or South America.
Prostitution is extreme in Barcelona and far higher in number than anywhere in Europe or perhaps all of Europe combined. As is the porn industry. Don't forget that this place is known as the "porn capital of Europe". Because of unusually high levels of prostitution for an EU nation, the drug user level is also extremely high (any nations crime statistic always show a connection between the two). It is legal in Barcelona to grow your own marijuana. Meaning, many do. With drug use, crime levels, social mayhem and all else that adds burdens to society go hand in hand.

WHO 'LOVES' BARCELONA?
I have found that the groups of people that really love Barcelona are young students that look for 'freedom' to party without restrictions. Barcelona has bars and pubs in abundance and discos that are open all night. Those who are attracted to drugs are of course very dedicated to Barcelona and can't conceed to leaving.
The second group are those that want to live in a warmer climate or near the beach, although Barcelona don't really have many beautiful beaches per say, but there is coastal areas within short train rides.
The third group and the largest group of expats to Spain, are the south Americans, and Africans. The South Americans move to spain because of the ease of communication, while being in Europe. Africans, because the neighbouring proximity.
Although Spain is a part of the EU, the actual percentage of immigration from Northern European nations is very low; no more than around 4,5% of all immigrant groups.

BCNexpat, I have certainly heard a lot about the low wages, and the huge number of people in each flat...it doesn seem to be the norm in BCN...

Hi oreneta: I am the only person in a circle of 40 people in expat club and company who can live without roommates and who earn above 1200 a month...

Barcelona is not a cheap city. Barcelona is not a city that can offer a good job, or even work at all in easy measures to anyone living here. Many come from the UK and believe that Barcelona is cheap, or that finding a job is easy with their skills, but if you look in the blog on living costs, Barcelona costs are pretty much equal to London which is surprising since there is no work opportunities here. Living on cheap wine and bread would be OK, but I think few of us could do it!

Something has gone out of control on this city that need some government regulations.

BCN expat...I have to confess that I love Barcelona, and I don't fall into any of your categories...Mom with kids and a pretty low key lifestyle, but we don't live IN Barcelona, and seems that it would be unrealsitic to expect that ANY city of that size in the western world will be CHEAP to live in.....the wage levels here do seem to be a problem.  There are articles about it in the paper on an ongoing basis....I have no idea if the expat experience is different.  It probably depends on the job/company you come over with. Some have pretty sweet deals.  If you want a job teaching English though, expect company at home. 

That said, it doesn't seem to be the same outside of BCN, we know people living in Girona, and Manresa that have a pretty decent lifestyle on their wages...these are Catalans, and in the town we are in it seems to be pretty reasonable.

Hi Oreneta: the reasoning that the London equivalent rates for Barcelona can be justified by the citys size makes no sense. I've lived in London, I've lived in Paris, Tokyo, Bangalore, New York and smaller places too - but the difference with this and Barcelona has been that in all these cities, the living cost has been justified according to income level. Barcelona is the only place I've lived in that don't follow this model and where rents can be double to your total income. Your justification means that if the average wage in London would be, say, GBP 20,000 it would be 'normal and acceptable' if their rents are GB 30-40,000 or more a year. Tell that to a Londoner.

People who want to live here, should be aware of these things. I was not informed of any of these things before moving here but only given comments that serve better in a travel-brochure but don't reflect what Barcelona is to live in.

Cheers!

There is no question that the housing in Spain as a whole is a problem,  I have even read an article, I'm pretty sure it was written by the UN,  stating that the Spanish housing market was a disaster waiting to happen....they have 50 year mortgages as it is the only way that people can ammoratize out the mortgage for long enough for people to live.  There is no question that your assessment that the wage/rent ratio is accurate..they wages are low and the rent is way way high...I am not sure it is so bad outside of BCN, and it has not been our experience.... I have been saying to people that renting would probably be a better idea until they have been here long enough to assess the housing market and their finances for themselves, and to find out if they are going to feel like you do about the area, or like I do.

You compare Catalans (local people) you know in Girona, Manresa and their life as a reference and experience of expats and immigrants!!?? I don't find this at all to be a suitable comparisment to anything expats may experience as well as living expenses, wages and so on of immigrants.

You may well be right.  I don't know any other expats here....I can only speak from what I know...I am sorry you sound angry, I am only trying to have a dialogue on what we find different here...we have both explored a new culture to us, and had very different findings...good luck in the future.

Oreneta, disagreeing with you, or that I may find your statements of poor reasoning, does not make me 'angry'  It's great that you are loving it here; purpose of moving to other places is to like it. I know a few people who like it here, and many who don't.
I am trying to like things here too and do the necessary efforts to get the best while I am here.

I don't know. I just think it's a bit of a dump with too many problems. But I love the late opening hours, the mediterranean "wine and olive-oil" culture.

bcnexpat, may I ask you in which part of Barcelona you are living in? The city is huge and it seems you're not living in its good part

I spent a few months in Barcelona in 2000 and frankly, I really loved that city. I wish I could buy a flat in "la Barceloneta" one day! I used to live pretty close from "plaza catalunya", and I loved going out in "el barrio chino".

People might not very friendly at the beginning, but you can make friends who you can rely on. I remember people telling me that if you're planning to stay for more than one year, you definitely have to speak the local language to get accepted.  Ok, I've got an advange, I understand catalan (but I reply in spanish). Speaking the local language (or trying) is maybe most important point. Another important point is that Catalan's culture is different than Spanish culture (I have lived in different places in Spain). Catalans (from Barcelona - it's different than Girona) are in general quite protectionists, but not all of them. You know, I noticed almost the same protectionism / conservatism with british people in London. I think the same phenomenom happens in all big cosmopolitan cities ...

About money, the city is very rich, but you can't get an high salary if you're not "integrated" (understand "speak catalan"). Barcelona is the richest city of spain.

About crime, I never had any problem during my stay, but I know that robbers are  waiting for unaware tourists. This is a real problem. You must constantly keep an eye on your cameras etc ... don't leave anything on a pub table while you're going to the toilets, for example... or close your car doors when you're in town, because people might get into it (and steal the wallet you left on the rear seat) while you're waiting at the traffic light. But ... doesn't this happen in all big cities?   

Something important to consider: Barcelona is one of the best "cultural capitals" of  Europe. The city is very rich in terms of culture, history ... and just for that it is quite possible to love this city (I do!).

To compare Barcelona to Madrid, I would say that BCN is a nicer city, but people are more open minded in Madrid (these cities are quite different).

I never lived in Bcn, but my ex was from there so I know the town pretty well. It's a big town with all the goods and bads points. But it's a pleasure to live there.

Of course, as a tourist, you have to be careful, but that's normal in any capital (I know that Bcn is not the capital, but it could be...)

Of course, living there is expensive, like in any big towns.

I just think that you can't compare it to a 3rd-world-country. The culture, the past, the people... Come on, it's really awesome.

It's great that you share with us your experience, but I'd like to say that there are plenty of people happy and who can live in BCN.

One point which is true, is that if you want to get integrate, it's better to speak at least spanish, better Catalan. Then you will discover the real BCN, and not the tourist's one.

Hi Guys!

Accommodation is really a huge problems, and I admire the people here for being able to handle it. After all, imagine to earn some 700 euro a month (very common) and have rental options that are over 1000 a month... Rent is suppose to be 25% of your income. But there is hardly even rooms available at that rate. It's allright to live like a student when you are younger, but if you have family, etc? It's hard for them but harder for expats who don't have the broad contacts like locals. Just a few days back there was a big demonstration regarding this topic and the exploitation of renters.
The local people tend to blame all tourists and foreigners for the increased in rents, but the real problem is naturally their own; foreigners only pay what they are forced to pay and are cornered whether they like it or not, and don't know where to turn for better options. It is the property owners and lack of government regulations that is the problem.

Is a rent of 125% and more of your total income the norm in Paris and London? I can't imagine the government would allow that? One great thing with the people here is, they do come up with changes to some issues quite rapidly once they make up their minds which is impressive.

Regarding jobs, I've had nice job environments even in North Europe where our Fridays ended with wine in the office and dinner after! And I've also had boring jobs where the atmosphere was almost unbearable. We North Europeans certainly could learn to open up a little like some of the mediterranean countries; would certainly make a better life overall! I do like the casual approach in general here, but then, I am used to that before Barcelona. I've traveled a lot and lived in many places so the North European tight-lip is gone and it is easy for me to talk to strangers! LOL!

Well. I don't know where to start. I'm not a resident of Barcelona, though I know it very well through many extended visits over the past 6 years and intend moving there.  But I simply do not recognise the city described by bcnexpat.

First, the Catalans. Unfriendly? Cold? Are you crazy? We knew no-one in Barcelona the first time we came. Now we have many Catalan and Spanish people we count as friends, people who have invited us into their homes, shared their evenings and given huge amounts of their time to us. We correspond in fractured Spanish/English/Catalan when we're not in bcn.  We don't speak Catalan (only the odd word), and our Spanish is still appalling, yet these people make huge efforts to make you feel welcome, help you understand their city and their culture, and show a flattering curiosity about Britain.

Second, you say Barcelona is 'dirty'. That would be the Barcelona where the rubbish collection happens every day, and every night. Where the streets are washed as well as swept. Where litter is a rarity and tree and parks are watered and cared for. Yes there's more graffiti in the Gothic quarter than 10 years ago, but compared with Paris or London it's nothing.
And prostitutes? In a big port city? Well I never!

In one post bcnexpat says that Barcelona only appeals to the very young visitors after the party scene, and that those after 'culture' are not so keen. This reveals a strange misunderstanding of Catalan culture. In Barcelona, everyone, from children to the very old, are involved in the 'party scene'. In fact, that's the biggest difference from the UK. Go to a club or bar in Barcelona at 4 in the morning and you are as likely to see people in their 60s as 20-year-olds. It's a sociable place and the Catalans love socialising, whether they are 16 or 90, though they don't seem to need to get blind drunk to do it. 

Also, there's no rigid distinction between partying and culture - it all blends together, like youth and age. I'm not a student, just a middle aged woman who thinks midnight is too early for bed. Noise? Yes there are parties at weekends, but generally people seem respect each other's peace and quiet - they have to, in a place with such high housing density. 

Crime. Well, this is a big city and I'm sure it has its share of crime, though I very much doubt that it is any worse than in similar cities. Personally I've never been robbed, pickpocketed, threatened or assaulted, nor has anyone I've been with. I've spent hours wandering miles on my own, in some of the less salubrious areas as well as the Raval, sometimes in the early hours,  and have never even felt ill at ease. But maybe I'm lucky. Certainly you shouldn't flash money around and look obviously like a tourist, but that applies anywhere. As for your statement that there are no police or laws to help you, I simply don't understand what you mean. There are police, and embassies, and consulates and advice centres, as you'd expect.

Transport... Cheap, clean, fast trains and tubes. Clean, regular buses, short journey times, integrated fares, cheap taxis. It's enough to make carless Brits green with envy.

A third world city? Have you ever been to the third world? If you want a better example of a third world city in Europe, try Naples - now that's a place where things have really gone wrong and you really need to worry about your safety.

Viva Catalunya.

Oh, I will grant you rents/flat prices are pretty high.

Just thought I would throw these up as possible resources for finding out more about Catalonia and Barcelona....

If you are thinking of moving to Spain, the Sunday Times published "Working and Living in Spain"  by Harvey Holtman.  It is aimed primarily at Brits, but the rest of us can get a lot out of it too.  It doesn't tell you what sites to see, but it does let you know what government office you need to go to to get which form, and generally in the right order.  It saved us a ton of time.  There are long sections on buying property, and getting jobs, and basically how to navigate the inevitable red tape.  That said, I should look up about getting my drivers licence. *groan*

I like the Lonely Planet guide to Barcelona if I had to pick one.  We have three, and they do differ; but if it had to be one, that would be it.

If you are interested in Catalan culture and history and how it has been expressed in the city and it's architecture, Robert Hughes' "Barcelona" is probably the best source in English for the non-academic reader.  He writes well, and has covered the topic thoroughly.  It is very very worthwhile, also as a preread for a tourist to the city.

Finally, if you are still interested in Catalan culture and history once you get here, the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya in Port Vell is probably worth a visit, it has quite a bit of information and is well set up.  They cover from pre-history right up to the modern times, and is well worth a visit.

[problem solved ]

Hi Julien,

Thanks for your message. It really is a pity that what should be an excellent forum for discussing the pros & cons of living abroad was ruined thanks to one person's personal attacks on other posters.

Maybe now we can get back to helping each other with information & suggestions. Let's hope so. Your site is a really great idea and much better than commercial sites as it has no particular axe to grind.

Keep up the good work.

One of the things I found when I got here was the difficulty in setting up a house..  we arrived in suitcases  an, um, extremely limited budget.

The guide books send you to places like El Corte Ingles, and Vincon...the two most expensive places I have EVER seen to buy anything.  Maybe you are willing to pay 15 Euros for a spatula and 10 Euros each for napkins...but...not me

The other day I went to the Barcelona market...this is a giant flea market.  It is near to Place des Glories, and that big Baguette shaped tower.  It is open only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings and you can get nearly anything there. 

There is of course an astonishing volume of junk.  Cheaply made polyester anything, and stuff you might see in the back of a garage, there is also some really nice things there...and it is an inexpensive place to buy a lot of the things you need to set up a house.  From brooms to towels to curtains to beautiful old handmade lace...well, you probably don't need that.

It is the only place I have found where you can buy cast iron cookware, they also sell cauldrons and enormous paella pans...you can buy a sling shot, a bed or a tin mickey mouse from the 40's....

There are two halves to the market, the first one, closer to Placa Catalunya is made up primarily of temporary stalls laid on the ground...the other side is more permanent stalls selling furniture and bathroom fixtures....

I also just love a market and even if I am not planning on buying anything they are fun to go around. People watching and looking at the goodies for sale and buying things you never wanted that much because you've accidentally started bargaining.  I bought a ring there last time which I liked enough to pick up and look at, the man said the price was 10 Euros, thanks but no...OK, five he said.  I still didn't want it.   he dropped it to three.  Fine, I like it too.  We got the artificial Christmas tree the same way...

Here's some tips.  Wear sunscreen, there is no shade in most of the market.  Don't take anything with you that you don't need.  It is very crowded, like markets everywhere and a big backpack would be a hassle.  I would also without a doubt knock something over with it.  Be careful of the inevitable possibility of pick pockets...it's a good spot for them, crowds and money...  Take small bills, if you've bargained someone down to half their original price and then offer a 50 it doesn't go over well.

And have fun, it's a cool spot.

So folks, what other spots have you found in BCN that are fun or interesting, or off the beaten track, or a good source for something hard to find...anyone know where I can get the flour for French buckwheat pancakes?  Or kids clothes that are not from Zara or Carrefour?

I don't know about Vincon but El Corte Ingles is certainly expensive. Have you tried the St Andoni market for kids clothes? Not as cheap as I'd expect from street markets in the UK but their adult clothes are certainly far cheaper than most retails  outlets so I'd imagine its the same for kids.

Of course you could always wait for the rebaixes. There are some good bargains to be picked up in some unlikely places. For example I picked up a jacket for €19 (under £14) at Adolfo Dominguez last summer. I thought they'd left a zero off the price tag!

That was the shop on the Diagonal near C/Balmes btw not the one on Pge De Gracia.

I've been through the St Antoni market, and wondered about whether I was simply buying crap...I would like the kids to have a chance to outgrow them before they fall apart...have you actually purchased anything there?

There is also a great used clothing store on, oh my goodness, how do I describe this...OK, the street that runs along the top of Placa Catalunya, with the Barca store on the corner.  Standing in front of the Barca store, facing it, go left, towards Placa Espanya on that side of the street.  Almost at the end of the block, there is a little tiny store that sells used clothes, really cheap.  A belt is 2 Euros, pants are 5.  I have bought some stuff there for 4 Euros that came from Burberries.  Five blocks away up Passeig de Gracia it would cost 40 Euros or more.

Food.

There is a great Asian grocery store near there.  Once you get to the used clothing store, cross the street you've been walking on and head down the cross street.  You are now heading diagonally back to Las Ramblas and Placa Catalunya...there is a store with a yellow sign and red writing called Extreme Orient Supermarket, or something along those lines....you can get most anything that comes from India-Pakistan on East, and it also carries a wide variety of grains, and pastas.  Also teas and different vegetables...sauces.  Lots of goodies that are hard to find in the regular grocery stores and which I find I miss.

I will look up the address and street names of those places next time I am in BCN.

I haven't purchased children's clothes there but my wife and I have bought a few things and they've been okay. Like most clothes outlets most of their material is made in China. 

The shop you mention near the Barca store is indicative of one of the oddest aspects of bcn shopping - that comparatively cheap stores exist cheek by jowl alongside some of the most expensive places in Europe.

I wanted to react to bcnexpat information as I don't find it accurate.
I am moving to Barcelona next month, after spending 8 years in London.

Job

Well in London I earned around 30k a year (much less than his friend who was on 50k) but I have managed to find a job in Barcelona, paid over 1700 euros a month, after tax, much more than his friend managed to get (1200 I think?)

Maybe it is because I am in a different industry, but I certainly think his friend could have looked again to find a better job. I am only 27, and did quite well.

Flat

I have made some research and you can have a decent flat for aroune 750 euros a month. For sure.

Crime

When I went to Barcelona last, my friend got her wallet stolen. Yes, it is very frequent, but the police was extremely friendly. She could cancel all her cards at the police station.


I will probabaly have more to stay once I have moved there...

That sounds pretty good, looking forward to hearing more about your move...

this tread is some 5 months old but i could not bear to read some of this post with out response

just about in no other major city people care so much that they can get just about anywhere on foot, this is why the center sew square kilometers in Barcelona is extremely expensive... now i admit it has its advantages to live in old town or on the beach...

but common people you move here from all over the world where you had no problem what so ever to drive or take the subway YET Barcelona YOU HAVE TO walk no matter how much it will cost

get some common scene people, this is a large city and not a small village

we moved here about a year ago, we rent a beautiful 5 bedroom HOUSE with panorama view and garage and pay 1200 euro / month.. and its not even 300m from the next metro station witch you can reach just about any point of interest in 15-20 minutes TOPS ... and this is NO exception there are plenty of apartments and houses in Barcelona for not much more then any major EU city... we looked at 6... it never even crossed my mind to rent an apartment in ghotico or born or what other over priced areas to even look, not to mention involving agencies ... WHY? there are adds all over the net and newspapers

the subway and bus connections/quality meats/beats the best of the best in the world, not to mention its enorm fair pricing = 73cent for the 2 hour standard ticket (same ticket in Berlin 2.40,Vienna 2.20,Paris 1.10,Rome 1.00, London whopping 6.00 in cash - even with card 2.00)... and that bus (always) and subways (seasonal, but most of the year) run all day long in not more then 20minute increments.. not many other cities can say this.. the last 6 months its been FREE (saved 73cent) to use the metro from the airport... HELLO how was it last time i visited Paris airport ? 9.00Euros/person (OrlyVal) ?! i chose to take a taxi and paid 11euros for the same distance and i was not alone.

so please, moving to Barcelona should not mean you forgot how to use the subway system, i even use my car for convenience (ohh yes i forgot to mention fuel is near 30% cheaper then the rest of the western part of EU)

Barcelona IS NOT expensive !
------------------------------------
as for crime ; yes tourists get ripped of a lot, this much is true, i got ripped of the 1st week by a fake cop my self (1000euros), and i know several visitors in person who got scammed/robbed as well.. yet i never heard of violence being used

as for the rest... loose handling of drug usage and prostitution are NOT considered bad nor a crime for a large part of the population (including me), i don't care what those gov statistics say, i saw several of those and IMO all it is is conservative propaganda... like it or not the day will come where most drugs will be legal AGAIN as it should (i just hope i will still be around to see that day)

besides to be honest i live a year in Barcelona now, there are many EU cities i see more prostitutes on the street then here

for my taste Barcelona is already to conservative and its getting worse by the year, you already cant buy cigs anywhere besides tabac-shops (witch are closed of course most of the day) and clubs have to close at 5am and with this pushing big part of the club industry to be illegal (and i fear the day will come where they be "cleaned" out as well), cant even drink a beer on the street, and and and

please accept that there are other views on this subjects , whats "good" for some is terror for others... you can flame me if you want but i think (in fact i know) I'm not alone with my opinions

I'm not going to flame you, delighted to hear what you have to say, it is nice to hear that someone has a great place to live and is doing well.

Cheers!

Hi Siiix

We're just starting to look into moving to Barcelona. My wife is from the south of france and I am Irish but we're living in Dublin - so, we know about high cost of living !

When you said that you rent a 5 bedroomed house for 1,200 pm, can I ask if that is a shared rent per person or fr the full house ?  Also, can you tell  me the area ?

basically, what we would like is to have a house and commute to work in Barcelona.  We'd prefer not tgo for apartment living, as we've been used to the privacy of a house all our lives (semi-det).

I know beggars can't be choosers but our goal is to live in a house and a short commute (we're only starting to look into the work side of things but I am a computer programmer and my wife works in a bank but is just finishing studying counselling and psychotherapy).

Anyway, if you could let me know your area, so that I can use it as a starting point ?

Also, do you recommend any good websites for long term rentals ?  Also, is it true that they may require 6-8 months in advnce (I had heard 3 or 4)

Thanks in advance
Rob from Ireland

Hello,

I am a Canadian who will be studying and visiting Europe for the first time. I will be taking a summer class in Barcelona at UAB.

I was wondering, in terms of accomondation, how much will eletricity, water & heating be? And phone line & internet connection?

I will be living in Barcelona for 4 weeks...do you have any advice?

Thanks!

Hi Shaque,

you should have a look to this topic: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=339

Also contact the University about accomodation, they may have a system...