Spain
Barcelona
Benvingut in the app. A local checklist, how-tos with real prices, and a directory of places that work for English speakers.
Cost of living
What one person usually spends
Newcomer checklist
15 tasks for Barcelona, sequenced by phase. Track progress in the app.
15 tasks
First week
Month 1
Compare & choose
Every option gets a verdict
Bank accounts
A Spanish IBAN for rent, nómina and direct debits.
4 banks · Checked June 2026
Home internet
Gigabit fibre is cheap here. Watch the contract lock-in, not the speed.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Co-living & flexible stays
Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you commit to a 12-month lease.
4 options · Checked June 2026
Gym memberships
Municipal pools to boutique studios. The Barcelona spread.
4 gyms · Checked June 2026
Private hospitals & clinics
Where to actually get seen this week, the private hospitals expats use, and the free public option.
4 options · Checked June 2026
Health & travel insurance
What actually covers you as a newcomer. And what just looks cheap.
4 plans · Checked June 2026
Where to live
Six barrios ranked on rent, noise, and beach access, filter by what matters to you.
6 areas · Checked June 2026
Mobile providers
A working number and data. Prepaid or monthly.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Editorial guides
Living
Your first 72 hours in Barcelona
Land, get connected, dodge the pickpockets, and book the one appointment everything else waits on.
Bureaucracy & Visas
NIE and TIE in Barcelona, step by step
The foreigner ID number and residence card every expat needs. And how to win the cita previa game.
Housing
Renting in Barcelona without getting burned
How the market really works, what the fianza and aval mean, and where the scams hide.
Healthcare
Healthcare in Barcelona: CatSalut and private
How Catalonia’s public system works, who qualifies, and the private cover most expats add.
Living
Best neighbourhoods for digital nomads
Gràcia to Poblenou compared on rent, noise, Wi-Fi, and how far you are from the beach.
Bureaucracy & Visas
Which Spanish visa do you actually need?
Digital nomad, non-lucrative, work or student. The overview, and the rare good news about applying from inside Spain.
Bureaucracy & Visas
Taxes in Spain: the expat basics
The Beckham regime, what autónomos really pay, and the foreign-asset form with the scary fines.
Avoiding scams
Scams and traps to avoid in Barcelona
Rental fraud, illegal agency fees, and the street scams that target newcomers. Know these before you sign or pay anyone.
Lifestyle
Weekend picks, seasonal events, and local rituals — updated without an app release.
Neighbourhoods we cover
GràciaPoblenouEl BornSant AntoniEixampleBarceloneta
Join our community
How-tos
All guides →Get your NIE (and TIE)
The foreigner ID number everything else in Spain hangs off.
30 min at the office · weeks for the cita€9.84 (tasa 790-012) · €16+ for TIE
Register your address (empadronamiento)
The free town-hall registration that gets you on the list for healthcare and schools.
20 min at the OACFree
Get a Spanish SIM card
Working number and data in 15 minutes. Passport is all you need.
15 min€10 to 20
Get a T-mobilitat transit card
Metro, bus, tram, and Rodalies on one contactless card.
15 min€4.50 card + €21 to 40/mo
Open a Spanish bank account
For rent, salary, and the Bizum payments everyone assumes you have.
45 minFree at most banks (with conditions)
Register with CatSalut (get your TSI)
Your Catalan health card. Public GP, hospital, and prescriptions.
20 min at the CAPFree
Set up home internet
Fibre is everywhere and fast. Pick the right contract length.
15 min to order · 3 to 10 days to install€25 to 40/mo
Exchange your driving licence
EU licences barely need anything. Non-EU depends on the country list.
1 hour at the DGT€28.87
Register as an EU resident (certificado de registro)
EU/EEA citizens: the green certificate you need after 90 days.
20 min at the office€12
Sign a lease (without getting burned)
Fianza, aval, and the temporada trap. Keys in hand with your rights intact.
1 to 4 weeks of hunting3 to 4 months' rent upfront
Get your social security number (NUSS)
Needed before your first day of work. And your employer can usually do it for you.
10 min online · days for the replyFree
Set up electricity, water & gas
CUPS codes, the cambio de titularidad, and why the previous tenant's contract is your friend.
1 hour total · 1 to 5 days activation€80 to 140/mo combined
Set up Bizum
How Spain actually pays. By phone number, instantly, from your bank's own app.
5 minFree
Register as a freelancer (alta de autónomo)
The double registration that lets you invoice from Spain. And the €80 first-year quota.
1 to 2 hours with a gestor~€80/mo first year (tarifa plana) · then €200 to 590/mo
Know what to do in case of an accident
One number for everything, a second one for when it's not urgent.
10 min to read and save the numbersFree
Handle a car crash, step by step
Most fender-benders settle on the spot. Know when that's not enough.
30 min on the spot, longer if anyone's hurtFree (your time only)