Renting an apartment in Barcelona was a daunting task, but I managed to overcome the challenges and secure a great place to live. After looking at several websites, I found a 3-bedroom apartment in Sant Marti de Provençals for €950 per month. It came with a nearly complete kitchen, but no furniture in the other rooms. So, I spent around €930 at IKEA for a double bed, a single bed, mattresses, pillows, sheets, and duvets. Two sets for each bed. It cost me an additional €57 to have someone from Task Rabbit, a company recommended by IKEA, to set up the beds. It was money well spent, especially since I noticed how hard was to mount two beds while the guy assemble them.
We still need to buy wardrobes, a desk for work, a TV stand, and a sofa. As for utilities, we aren’t sure how much we’d be spending on electricity, water, and gas yet. From what we read, it would be normal to spend around €35-€50 per month on each one, maybe a little more for gas and water because we cook a lot at home and like our shower water very hot.
We already had our internet and cellphone plan sorted out, which was a relief. We opted for a Digi Fiber Optic plan (1Gbps symmetrical) with 2 mobile lines (50GB each) for €36 per month. It was surprising to find out that it was cheaper than the plan we had back in Goiania with higher speed and other benefits.
The apartment is in a great location, right next to a metro station, in a residential and nice neighborhood. The building is old, but the apartment itself is on the 10th floor and well-renovated. The layout is perfect, and there are many windows to let in natural light. The floors in most of the rooms are made of wood, which helps maintain a comfortable temperature. It also has air conditioning for when we need it.
Regarding transportation, as we have a metro station nearby, it’s an easy choice. And we opted for the T-Usual monthly pass, which is a tarjeta that costs €20 and is linked to our identification number, giving us unlimited travel for 30 days. This way me and my wife can use the metro as many times as we want in those 30 days, sine each of us has one T-Usual pass. A single metro ticket costs €2.40, but the monthly pass is more convenient and affordable. Also children under 16 has free pass right, so we’ll request a child pass for our daughter as soon as we have all the papers.
Overall, renting an apartment was a challenging but rewarding experience. I’m glad I was able to find a comfortable and affordable apartment in Barcelona, and I hope that my experience can help others navigate the rental market in the city.
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