World · Spain

Barcelona

indicative score

7.72 / 10

Onde Viver Bem · updated November 10, 2026

Technical notes for this page

Updated November 10, 2026. Indicative score. Weights: entertainment 11.73% (destinations and venues within 50 km); bars 3.73%; safety 15% with a penalty; water at country level; land price per m² = official source (ITBI, Terracap, registries, valuations) or listings with a caveat · coverage 100%

Barcelona has an indicative score of 7.72/10 in the World ranking of Onde Viver Bem, updated November 10, 2026. The strongest published variables are Culture (10.00), Beach / mountains (10.00) and Entertainment (9.62); the weakest are Safety (4.97), Mild climate (5.49) and Sun (5.73). The scores are indicative. Cost of living and the land price per m² are not part of the score.

Barcelona: view of the city — Barcelona. Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Land price per m²

US$ 441/m² (EUR 394)

official (urban-land transactions recorded at the registry)

Score breakdown

Each criterion's score, its weight in the total and the raw figure, linked to its source.

Safety · score 4.97 · weight 15.00% · sources: homicidios_100k_local (1.06) · homicidios_100k_policia (0.75) · obitos_indeterminados_100k (0.31) · roubo_razao_cidade_pais (5.58) · sensacao_seguranca_noite_pct (67.0)

raw: 1.06 per 100k pop. · 40% violent deaths (log 30→0, 0.5→10 per 100k) + 30% city robbery ÷ country average (log 5×→0, 0.5×→10) + 30% share who feel safe at night (lin 30%→0, 95%→10); any part without data: weights renormalized

Composite safety: violent deaths 1.1 per 100k → 8.2 (weight 40%) · robbery 5.58× the country average (municipality 08019 Barcelona, 2024) → 0.0 (weight 30%) · 67.0% feel safe walking alone at night (Barcelona (greater city) ES002C, 2023) → 5.7 (weight 30%).

Beach / mountains · score 10.00 · weight 11.59% · sources: km_ate_praia_osm (5.0) · km_ate_relevo_montanhoso (30.0) · osm_cachoeiras_50km (101.0) · osm_areas_protegidas_50km (73.0) · osm_trilhas_rota_50km (298.0) · osm_mirantes_50km (652.0)

raw: 5.0 km · beach: distance log 5 km→10, 150 km→0; mountains: richness of nature leisure (mean of the top 3 of 4 counts, 50 km) × access (1 up to 15 km → 0 at 150 km, log), 0 with no relief; score = min(10, max(beach, mountains) + 0.3·min)

Water · score 6.77 · weight 9.94% · sources: wb_estresse_hidrico_pais (43.254) · wb_agua_gerida_segura_pais (99.458)

raw: 43.254 % withdrawal / available resources · average: stress log 100%→0, 10%→10; safe water lin 50%→0, 100%→10

Parks · score 7.76 · weight 9.94% · sources: osm_parques_2km (81.0) · osm_parques_municipio (626.0)

raw: 81.0 count of OSM objects · 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 60→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 15→10

Sun · score 5.73 · weight 9.94% · sources: radiacao_solar_global (1630.7)

raw: 1630.7 kWh/m²/year · lin 1000→0, 2100→10 kWh/m²/year

Restaurants · score 9.25 · weight 9.11% · sources: osm_restaurantes_2km (1616.0) · osm_restaurantes_municipio (3802.0) · overture_restaurantes_2km (3132.0) · overture_restaurantes_municipio (8250.0)

raw: Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.57 within 2 km, 3.41 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 1000→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 30→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 30→10

Entertainment · score 9.62 · weight 11.73% · sources: osm_destinos_entretenimento_50km (23.0) · osm_arenas_grandes_50km (77.0)

raw: 100.0 count of OSM objects (destinations + venues, 50 km) · log1p(destinations + stadiums/music venues), 120→10; 50 km radius

A1ed, radius 50 km: 23.0 destinations (theme_park/zoo/aquarium/water_park) + 77.0 stadiums/music venues (stadium, music_venue, concert_hall). Left out: events_venue, sports_centre, theatre, amusement_ride, amusement_arcade. OpenStreetMap via ohsome.

Bars · score 9.02 · weight 3.73% · sources: osm_bares_2km (564.0) · osm_bares_municipio (1431.0) · overture_bares_2km (991.0) · overture_bares_municipio (2519.0)

raw: Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.48 within 2 km, 3.20 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 500→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 10→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 10→10

Mild climate · score 5.49 · weight 4.97% · sources: dias_conforto_termico (181.1)

raw: 181.1 days/year · lin 0→0, 330→10 days/year

Health · score 9.35 · weight 4.97% · sources: wb_expectativa_vida (83.888) · osm_hospitais_10km (40.0)

raw: 83.888 years · average: life expectancy lin 70→0, 85→10; Brazil: beds/10k pop. lin 0→0, 50→10; World: OSM hospitals within 10 km log1p 50→10

Clean air · score 8.03 · weight 4.14% · sources: pm25_media_anual (10.904)

raw: 10.904 µg/m³ · lin 35→0, 5→10 µg/m³ (WHO=5)

Airport · score 7.00 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_aeroportos_iata_50km (1.0)

raw: 1.0 count of OSM objects · 0→0, 1→7, ≥2→10

Culture · score 10.00 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_cultura_5km (236.0)

raw: 236.0 count of OSM objects · log1p(count), 150→10

The city

Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, and the country's second most populous municipality, with 1.6 million people within city limits. Its urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits to about 4.7 million people, the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr and Milan. It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the Llobregat and Besòs rivers and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola, whose highest peak is 512 metres high.

English rendering of the Portuguese Wikipedia summary linked below. Source: wikipedia_pt. Wikipedia revision 73337174 (2026-11-01T01:22:41Z).

Taxation

ITP (Transmissions Patrimonials Oneroses, property transfer tax): 10% up to €600k; 11% up to €900k; 12% up to €1.5M; 13% above (progressive housing rate). Base: actual/reference value. New-build property pays 10% VAT + AJD instead of ITP Agència Tributària de Catalunya

IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles, property tax): 0.66% (general rate for urban property) on the cadastral value. Base: cadastral value (latest cadastral revaluation: 2018). General rate; the municipality may apply differentiated rates to higher-value non-residential uses. Legal range of the general rate: 0.4%–1.1% (TRLRHL art. 72). Ministerio de Hacienda — Tipos impositivos IBI/IAE 2025, municípios capitais de província (quadro 1.C)

Frequently asked questions

What is the Onde Viver Bem score for Barcelona?

Barcelona has an indicative score of 7.72/10 in the World ranking, updated November 10, 2026. Cost of living is not part of the score.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the score for Barcelona?

The strongest published variables are Culture (10.00), Beach / mountains (10.00) and Entertainment (9.62); the weakest are Safety (4.97), Mild climate (5.49) and Sun (5.73).

Does cost of living or the land price per m² enter the score?

No. Cost of living and the land price per m² appear on the page but are not part of the score. See the methodology.

How is the score calculated?

It is an indicative 0–10 quality-of-life index, with 13 variables and published weights. Safety has a 15% weight and, when local data exist, a lethal-violence penalty may cap the total. The full method is on the methodology page.

Are any figures on this page estimates?

This page has no value marked as an estimate. Each metric cites its source.