CITY / CITYComparación de ciudades verificada
Athensvs.Barcelona.
Barcelona sale mejor en 6 de 8 datos principales; Athens, en 2. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Athens $766/mo, Barcelona $941/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Athens 30,9%, Barcelona 28,4%. Climate comfort: Athens 5/12 mo, Barcelona 7/12 mo.
Verificado
14 criterios comparados · 29 fuentes · los datos de país aparecen marcados como heredados
gr / es · SettleMetric
01
Las diferencias clave
Las cifras clave cara a cara, con el lado más fuerte señalado. La puntuación global es decorativa; lo que importa es qué datos encajan contigo.
Resultado principal
Barcelona va por delante en 6 de 8
Athens
2
Barcelona
6
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Athensmejor
$766/mo
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notas
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
Barcelona
$941/mo
INE — Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 2024 (household budget survey), rent stripped
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- INE EPF 2024 average household spending by COICOP group (total €34,044/hh). Housing group €11,029 reduced to utilities only (imputed rent €9,299 removed), leaving a non-rent basket of €24,746/hh. Divided by average household size 2.50 (€34,044 ÷ €13,626 per-person) → €9,905/person/yr = €825/mo; converted at EUR/USD 1.1399 (ECB 2026-07-02) → $941/mo. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price levels (Spain ≈ 92% of EU27; ≈ 1.28× Poland, whose figure is $753).
- Notas
- National per-capita non-rent basket. A person living alone typically spends somewhat more per head (fixed costs not shared) — this figure is the reproducible household-survey floor. City files (Madrid/Barcelona) run higher; Valencia/smaller cities lower.
02Freelancer tax burden
Athens
30,9%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
Barcelonamejor
28,4%
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Best realistically-eligible scheme for a solo IT freelancer = es-autonomo-estimacion-directa at €60,000 revenue with 10% (€6,000) expenses. RETA cuota tramo 14 (base 1,732.03 × 31.5%) = 6,547.08/yr; difícil-justificación 2,000 (notional); IRPF base 39,902.92 (after mínimo personal 5,550) → 10,465.58. Total levies 17,012.66 / 60,000 = 28.4%. The Beckham regime (flat 24%) is NOT open to ordinary freelancers, only to eligible employed/relocated impatriates — see es-beckham-impatriate.
03Homicide rate
Athens
0,78/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
Barcelonamejor
0,72/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101, per 100k)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Latest year 2024 = 0.72 per 100k (2023: 0.69; 2022: 0.69). Spain is among the safer EU countries for intentional homicide.
04Climate comfort
Athens
5/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Climates to Travel 1991–2020, Athens/Ellinikon)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2020
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: Mar (16.5), Apr (20.2), May (25.2), Oct (23.8), Nov (18.8) = 5. Excluded: Jan/Feb/Dec (max 13.3–14.7°C); Jun–Sep (max 28.9–33.4°C). All months satisfy the precip test (max 60 mm). Athens's hot summers and cool winters leave the two shoulder seasons as the pleasant stretch.
Barcelonamejor
7/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA/WMO 1991–2020, WMO 08181)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2020
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Mar (16.8), Apr (18.9), May (22.2), Jun (26.2), Sep (26.7), Oct (22.7), Nov (17.9) = 7. Jan/Feb/Dec miss (max ≈14°C); Jul (29.0) and Aug (29.7) exceed 28°C. All months are under the 150mm precipitation cap.
05Internet speed
Athens
37 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Greece
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for GR in 2023 = 37.3 Mbps (268,076 download tests; daily medians ranged 21.3–47.3). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads below Ookla-style tests — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notas
- Greece's fixed broadband is improving as fibre rolls out; the single-stream M-Lab median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Barcelonamejor
50 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Spain
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of 344 daily country medians, 9,298,577 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2024 file is partial at 86 days with a similar 52.5 Mbps median).
- Notas
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Spain has extensive FTTH coverage; real advertised fibre speeds are far higher than this test-based median.
06English proficiency
Athensmejor
High
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
Barcelona
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 (Spain rank 36/123, score 540 — Moderate band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First; Spain score 540, Moderate band, weakest in speaking 462). English is workable in tourist/hospitality zones and among younger urban professionals, but limited in government offices, healthcare, and everyday services outside big cities — a moderate rating for daily life.
07Private healthcare cost
Athens
$1368/yr
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Midpoint of local comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) annual premiums for a healthy 35-year-old, €600–1,800 from major Greek insurers (mid-range €100–180/month) → ~€1,200/yr × 1.1399 = $1,368.
- Notas
- Public cover exists via EOPYY (funded through EFKA contributions), but waiting lists and gaps drive a large private market. Local plans run cheaper than international/expat plans ($2,000–4,000+/yr). Greek insurers raised premiums ~14% in 2025 — a rising curated midpoint, not a firm quote.
Barcelonamejor
$821/yr
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 4 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Comprehensive Spanish private health policies (póliza de salud) include outpatient AND hospitalization/inpatient by default. For a healthy 35-year-old, full-cover plans run ≈ €45–52/mo with modest copays and ≈ €65–90/mo copay-free (Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV — 2026 published ranges). Comprehensive midpoint ≈ €60/mo ≈ €720/yr ≈ $821 at EUR/USD 1.1399 (range ≈ $615–$1,230/yr).
- Notas
- Residents in the contributory system have public healthcare (Sistema Nacional de Salud); private cover is optional and widely bought for speed/choice. Premiums are quoted on request and vary by province (Madrid/Barcelona highest) and copay structure, so this is a curated market midpoint on a comprehensive (outpatient+inpatient) basis, not a single public quote.
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Athens
14,2 µg/m³
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- 2024 annual mean PM2.5 averaged across 5 EEA-reporting monitoring stations in the Athens area, from EEA verified data compiled by the EU Air Quality Tracker.
- Notas
- ≈2.8× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU annual limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Down markedly from ~22 µg/m³ in 2019 (IQAir), consistent with the declining trend. Underlying authority is the EEA (third-party presentation of EEA-verified 2024 data).
Barcelonamejor
14 µg/m³
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Population-weighted city exposure to annual-mean PM2.5 in 2024 = 14 µg/m³ (ASPB report, executive summary). Gravimetric-method station annual means for 2024 (ASPB Taula 3): Eixample 15, Gràcia-Sant Gervasi 15, Plaça Universitat 15, Poblenou 13, Zona Universitària (background) 12, Vall d'Hebron 10 µg/m³.
- Notas
- Roughly 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); below the current EU limit value (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10) at all stations except Vall d'Hebron. PM2.5 levels have been broadly stable in Barcelona since 2013 while NO2 has fallen. City-level official figure from the municipal public-health agency; consistent with the EEA European city air quality viewer methodology (population-weighted annual mean).
02
¿Qué ciudad encaja con tu plan?
Cada perspectiva pondera solo los datos que importan a ese plan y dice a qué lado favorece.
Informática remota / autónomo
Contrato o trabajo por cuenta propia en tecnología, facturando a clientes de fuera.
Muy reñido para este plan
01Freelancer tax burden
Athens
30,9%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
Barcelonamejor
28,4%
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Best realistically-eligible scheme for a solo IT freelancer = es-autonomo-estimacion-directa at €60,000 revenue with 10% (€6,000) expenses. RETA cuota tramo 14 (base 1,732.03 × 31.5%) = 6,547.08/yr; difícil-justificación 2,000 (notional); IRPF base 39,902.92 (after mínimo personal 5,550) → 10,465.58. Total levies 17,012.66 / 60,000 = 28.4%. The Beckham regime (flat 24%) is NOT open to ordinary freelancers, only to eligible employed/relocated impatriates — see es-beckham-impatriate.
02Internet speed
Athens
37 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Greece
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for GR in 2023 = 37.3 Mbps (268,076 download tests; daily medians ranged 21.3–47.3). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads below Ookla-style tests — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notas
- Greece's fixed broadband is improving as fibre rolls out; the single-stream M-Lab median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Barcelonamejor
50 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Spain
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of 344 daily country medians, 9,298,577 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2024 file is partial at 86 days with a similar 52.5 Mbps median).
- Notas
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Spain has extensive FTTH coverage; real advertised fibre speeds are far higher than this test-based median.
03English proficiency
Athensmejor
High
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
Barcelona
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 (Spain rank 36/123, score 540 — Moderate band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First; Spain score 540, Moderate band, weakest in speaking 462). English is workable in tourist/hospitality zones and among younger urban professionals, but limited in government offices, healthcare, and everyday services outside big cities — a moderate rating for daily life.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Athensmejor
$766/mo
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notas
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
Barcelona
$941/mo
INE — Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 2024 (household budget survey), rent stripped
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- INE EPF 2024 average household spending by COICOP group (total €34,044/hh). Housing group €11,029 reduced to utilities only (imputed rent €9,299 removed), leaving a non-rent basket of €24,746/hh. Divided by average household size 2.50 (€34,044 ÷ €13,626 per-person) → €9,905/person/yr = €825/mo; converted at EUR/USD 1.1399 (ECB 2026-07-02) → $941/mo. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price levels (Spain ≈ 92% of EU27; ≈ 1.28× Poland, whose figure is $753).
- Notas
- National per-capita non-rent basket. A person living alone typically spends somewhat more per head (fixed costs not shared) — this figure is the reproducible household-survey floor. City files (Madrid/Barcelona) run higher; Valencia/smaller cities lower.
05Domestic delivery quality
Athens
Good
Greek carrier networks (ELTA, ACS, BoxNow) — composite
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Dense mainland-city coverage: national couriers (ELTA post, ACS, Geniki Taxydromiki, Speedex) plus one of SE Europe's largest parcel-locker networks (BoxNow) and Skroutz Last Mile; cash-on-delivery ('αντικαταβολή') is mainstream. Athens/Thessaloniki are excellent, but ELTA's financial troubles and ferry-dependent island last-mile keep the national rating at 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
Barcelona
Good
Correos official (network of delivery points, Citypaq lockers) + private carriers
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Correos ~13,000 attention/pickup points (2,380 offices + rural points + 2,115+ Citypaq lockers, plus new Punto Correos convenience points, end-2025); SEUR, MRW, GLS, DHL, UPS, Correos Express operate nationwide with tracking; 24–48h delivery standard in cities. Locker density lower than the most locker-dense EU markets, so classified 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
- Notas
- Reliable, tracked 1–3 day domestic delivery with a growing parcel-locker network (Citypaq); to-door and PUDO pickup both common.
Familia
Mudarse con pareja e hijos en edad escolar.
Barcelona encaja mejor: 4 de 5
01International schools
Athens
14
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Count of IB World Schools in the Athens/Attica metro (accreditor: International Baccalaureate): ACS Athens, International School of Athens, St. Catherine's British School, Campion School, Pierce–The American College of Greece, Costeas-Geitonas, Geitonas School, Doukas School, Platon School, Athens College, DES Schools, Lampiri School, International Metropolitan School, International School of Piraeus = 14. Flagship schools independently confirmed via their own sites.
- Notas
- Verified FLOOR, IB-accreditation basis only (the true count is higher — it excludes the German School of Athens (Abitur) and the Lycée Franco-Hellénique (AEFE), plus Cambridge centres). Greece has 22 IB World Schools nationally. ±2 on the IB count.
Barcelonamejor
21
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 oct 2023
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Count of schools in the Barcelona metropolitan area (Barcelona city + AMB/commuter belt: Esplugues, El Prat, Sant Joan Despí, Gavà, Castelldefels, Sitges, Sant Cugat, Sant Pere de Ribes) that offer a qualification tied to a named accreditor in the official Ajuntament table: IB (IBDP/IBCP/PYP/MYP), Cambridge International (iGCSE/GCSE/A-Level), AEFE-homologated French (Baccalauréat), German ZfA (Abitur), or US (American HSD + AP). AEFE homologation verified on aefe.gouv.fr (Lycée Français de Barcelone, Lycée Bon Soleil/Gavà, Lycée Bel Air, École Ferdinand-de-Lesseps); Deutsche Schule Barcelona verified as German-government-recognised; Cambridge schools (Highlands, ES American, Princess Margaret) cross-checked on cambridgeinternational.org.
- Notas
- ±3 uncertainty. Counted 21 metro schools with an accreditor-mapped qualification. Excluded: schools outside the metro core (Terrassa, Canet de Mar, Llinars del Vallès, La Garriga incl. CIS-member SEK Catalunya), and in-metro schools the official table lists with N/A qualifications so the accreditor could not be confirmed from this source (e.g. BSB City Campus, St. George, Zürich Schule) — several of these are very likely British/Cambridge or German-accredited, so the true figure is probably higher. IB and Cambridge public 'find-a-school' registries are Cloudflare-protected and could not be queried directly; where possible, individual schools were confirmed against their accreditor. Source table is dated Oct 2023 (latest official Ajuntament edition).
02Homicide rate
Athens
0,78/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
Barcelonamejor
0,72/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101, per 100k)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Latest year 2024 = 0.72 per 100k (2023: 0.69; 2022: 0.69). Spain is among the safer EU countries for intentional homicide.
03Private healthcare cost
Athens
$1368/yr
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Midpoint of local comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) annual premiums for a healthy 35-year-old, €600–1,800 from major Greek insurers (mid-range €100–180/month) → ~€1,200/yr × 1.1399 = $1,368.
- Notas
- Public cover exists via EOPYY (funded through EFKA contributions), but waiting lists and gaps drive a large private market. Local plans run cheaper than international/expat plans ($2,000–4,000+/yr). Greek insurers raised premiums ~14% in 2025 — a rising curated midpoint, not a firm quote.
Barcelonamejor
$821/yr
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 4 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Comprehensive Spanish private health policies (póliza de salud) include outpatient AND hospitalization/inpatient by default. For a healthy 35-year-old, full-cover plans run ≈ €45–52/mo with modest copays and ≈ €65–90/mo copay-free (Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV — 2026 published ranges). Comprehensive midpoint ≈ €60/mo ≈ €720/yr ≈ $821 at EUR/USD 1.1399 (range ≈ $615–$1,230/yr).
- Notas
- Residents in the contributory system have public healthcare (Sistema Nacional de Salud); private cover is optional and widely bought for speed/choice. Premiums are quoted on request and vary by province (Madrid/Barcelona highest) and copay structure, so this is a curated market midpoint on a comprehensive (outpatient+inpatient) basis, not a single public quote.
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Athens
14,2 µg/m³
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- 2024 annual mean PM2.5 averaged across 5 EEA-reporting monitoring stations in the Athens area, from EEA verified data compiled by the EU Air Quality Tracker.
- Notas
- ≈2.8× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU annual limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Down markedly from ~22 µg/m³ in 2019 (IQAir), consistent with the declining trend. Underlying authority is the EEA (third-party presentation of EEA-verified 2024 data).
Barcelonamejor
14 µg/m³
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Population-weighted city exposure to annual-mean PM2.5 in 2024 = 14 µg/m³ (ASPB report, executive summary). Gravimetric-method station annual means for 2024 (ASPB Taula 3): Eixample 15, Gràcia-Sant Gervasi 15, Plaça Universitat 15, Poblenou 13, Zona Universitària (background) 12, Vall d'Hebron 10 µg/m³.
- Notas
- Roughly 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); below the current EU limit value (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10) at all stations except Vall d'Hebron. PM2.5 levels have been broadly stable in Barcelona since 2013 while NO2 has fallen. City-level official figure from the municipal public-health agency; consistent with the EEA European city air quality viewer methodology (population-weighted annual mean).
05English proficiency
Athensmejor
High
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
Barcelona
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 (Spain rank 36/123, score 540 — Moderate band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First; Spain score 540, Moderate band, weakest in speaking 462). English is workable in tourist/hospitality zones and among younger urban professionals, but limited in government offices, healthcare, and everyday services outside big cities — a moderate rating for daily life.
Dinero y cripto
Optimizar impuestos, banca y normas sobre cripto.
Barcelona encaja mejor: 2 de 3
01Crypto regulation
Athens
Legal regulated
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 10 abr 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- EU MiCA applies and was transposed by Law 5193/2025 (10 April 2025), with CASP licensing and EU passporting, supervised by HCMC and the Bank of Greece. Individual crypto capital gains are taxed at a flat 15% (from 1 Jan 2025), with a €500 annual tax-free threshold and 5-year loss carry-forward. Fully legal and now clearly regulated/taxed rather than a grey area.
Barcelona
Legal regulated
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Holding/trading legal for individuals. Gains on disposal (to fiat OR crypto-to-crypto swaps, which ARE taxable, unlike Poland) are savings income (renta del ahorro) taxed 19–30% under IRPF; FIFO applies. EU MiCA fully applicable in Spain from 1 July 2026 (CASPs licensed/supervised by CNMV and Banco de España); DAC8 reporting from 2026. Buying with fiat is not a taxable event.
02Financial control level
Athens
Moderate
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: EUR (eurozone), full EU free movement of capital; the 2015 crisis-era capital controls were fully lifted on 1 September 2019, so funds move abroad without restriction. Offsetting this: Greece has the STRICTEST cash-payment cap in the EU (€500 for consumer transactions; breaches fined at double the amount) plus routine AML/CASP reporting. The open capital account alone reads 'low', but the €500 everyday-cash restriction pulls the composite up to 'moderate'.
- Notas
- A 2025–26 proposal to cut the cap to €200 was withdrawn; the €500 limit remains.
Barcelonamejor
Low
Agencia Tributaria — límite de pagos en efectivo (Ley 11/2021); eurozone member, no capital controls
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: eurozone member, euro fully convertible, no currency/capital controls (free EU capital movement). Cash-payment limit €1,000 per transaction when a party acts as business/professional (Ley 11/2021), €10,000 for non-resident private individuals. Standard EU CRS/DAC bank reporting and DAC8 for crypto; Modelo 720 declaration of foreign assets >€50,000 exists (informational). No exchange restrictions on personal funds; non-residents can open bank accounts (NIE required).
- Notas
- Modelo 720 foreign-asset reporting (>€50,000) is an information duty; EU Court struck down its disproportionate penalty regime in 2022, penalties since aligned to general rules. Overall personal money movement is free (low control) by the criterion's definition.
03Freelancer tax burden
Athens
30,9%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
Barcelonamejor
28,4%
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Best realistically-eligible scheme for a solo IT freelancer = es-autonomo-estimacion-directa at €60,000 revenue with 10% (€6,000) expenses. RETA cuota tramo 14 (base 1,732.03 × 31.5%) = 6,547.08/yr; difícil-justificación 2,000 (notional); IRPF base 39,902.92 (after mínimo personal 5,550) → 10,465.58. Total levies 17,012.66 / 60,000 = 28.4%. The Beckham regime (flat 24%) is NOT open to ordinary freelancers, only to eligible employed/relocated impatriates — see es-beckham-impatriate.
Vida tranquila
Priorizar la seguridad, el aire y una vida diaria sencilla.
Barcelona encaja mejor: 3 de 4
01Homicide rate
Athens
0,78/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
Barcelonamejor
0,72/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101, per 100k)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Latest year 2024 = 0.72 per 100k (2023: 0.69; 2022: 0.69). Spain is among the safer EU countries for intentional homicide.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Athens
14,2 µg/m³
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- 2024 annual mean PM2.5 averaged across 5 EEA-reporting monitoring stations in the Athens area, from EEA verified data compiled by the EU Air Quality Tracker.
- Notas
- ≈2.8× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU annual limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Down markedly from ~22 µg/m³ in 2019 (IQAir), consistent with the declining trend. Underlying authority is the EEA (third-party presentation of EEA-verified 2024 data).
Barcelonamejor
14 µg/m³
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Population-weighted city exposure to annual-mean PM2.5 in 2024 = 14 µg/m³ (ASPB report, executive summary). Gravimetric-method station annual means for 2024 (ASPB Taula 3): Eixample 15, Gràcia-Sant Gervasi 15, Plaça Universitat 15, Poblenou 13, Zona Universitària (background) 12, Vall d'Hebron 10 µg/m³.
- Notas
- Roughly 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); below the current EU limit value (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10) at all stations except Vall d'Hebron. PM2.5 levels have been broadly stable in Barcelona since 2013 while NO2 has fallen. City-level official figure from the municipal public-health agency; consistent with the EEA European city air quality viewer methodology (population-weighted annual mean).
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Athensmejor
$766/mo
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notas
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
Barcelona
$941/mo
INE — Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 2024 (household budget survey), rent stripped
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- INE EPF 2024 average household spending by COICOP group (total €34,044/hh). Housing group €11,029 reduced to utilities only (imputed rent €9,299 removed), leaving a non-rent basket of €24,746/hh. Divided by average household size 2.50 (€34,044 ÷ €13,626 per-person) → €9,905/person/yr = €825/mo; converted at EUR/USD 1.1399 (ECB 2026-07-02) → $941/mo. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price levels (Spain ≈ 92% of EU27; ≈ 1.28× Poland, whose figure is $753).
- Notas
- National per-capita non-rent basket. A person living alone typically spends somewhat more per head (fixed costs not shared) — this figure is the reproducible household-survey floor. City files (Madrid/Barcelona) run higher; Valencia/smaller cities lower.
04Climate comfort
Athens
5/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Climates to Travel 1991–2020, Athens/Ellinikon)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2020
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: Mar (16.5), Apr (20.2), May (25.2), Oct (23.8), Nov (18.8) = 5. Excluded: Jan/Feb/Dec (max 13.3–14.7°C); Jun–Sep (max 28.9–33.4°C). All months satisfy the precip test (max 60 mm). Athens's hot summers and cool winters leave the two shoulder seasons as the pleasant stretch.
Barcelonamejor
7/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA/WMO 1991–2020, WMO 08181)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2020
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Mar (16.8), Apr (18.9), May (22.2), Jun (26.2), Sep (26.7), Oct (22.7), Nov (17.9) = 7. Jan/Feb/Dec miss (max ≈14°C); Jul (29.0) and Aug (29.7) exceed 28°C. All months are under the 150mm precipitation cap.
03
La comparación completa
Abre cualquier dato para ver qué mide, cómo de reciente es y el rastro completo de fuentes de ambas ciudades.
01
Impuestos
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileAthens30,9Barcelonamejor28,4
Qué mide esto
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Cuanto más bajo, mejor· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días
Athens
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
Barcelona
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Best realistically-eligible scheme for a solo IT freelancer = es-autonomo-estimacion-directa at €60,000 revenue with 10% (€6,000) expenses. RETA cuota tramo 14 (base 1,732.03 × 31.5%) = 6,547.08/yr; difícil-justificación 2,000 (notional); IRPF base 39,902.92 (after mínimo personal 5,550) → 10,465.58. Total levies 17,012.66 / 60,000 = 28.4%. The Beckham regime (flat 24%) is NOT open to ordinary freelancers, only to eligible employed/relocated impatriates — see es-beckham-impatriate.
02
Legalización
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Remote-work legalization easeAthensDedicated nomad visaBarcelonaDedicated nomad visa
Qué mide esto
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 180 días
Athens
Hellenic Republic MFA — Digital Nomad Visa (Law 4825/2021)
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Greece runs a dedicated digital-nomad visa (Law 4825/2021): a 12-month visa then a 2-year residence permit for non-EU remote workers earning ≥ €3,500/month net from abroad. Paired with the 50% new-resident income-tax exemption it is one of the EU's most marketed relocation deals for mid-income freelancers, though the income bar is higher than in Albania or Bulgaria. EU citizens simply register.
Barcelona
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 4 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Spain has a dedicated digital-nomad route: the international-teleworking residence authorization (autorización de residencia por teletrabajo de carácter internacional), created by Ley 28/2022 (Startups Law), in force since Jan 2023. Open to non-EU nationals working remotely for non-Spanish companies (max 20% of activity from Spanish firms). Income requirement 200% SMI. Initial visa 1 year (from abroad) or 3-year residence permit via UGE-CE, renewable, path to permanent residence.
03
Coste de vida
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentAthensmejor766Barcelona941
Qué mide esto
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Cuanto más bajo, mejor· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días
Athens
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notas
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
Barcelona
INE — Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 2024 (household budget survey), rent stripped
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- INE EPF 2024 average household spending by COICOP group (total €34,044/hh). Housing group €11,029 reduced to utilities only (imputed rent €9,299 removed), leaving a non-rent basket of €24,746/hh. Divided by average household size 2.50 (€34,044 ÷ €13,626 per-person) → €9,905/person/yr = €825/mo; converted at EUR/USD 1.1399 (ECB 2026-07-02) → $941/mo. Cross-checked against Eurostat comparative price levels (Spain ≈ 92% of EU27; ≈ 1.28× Poland, whose figure is $753).
- Notas
- National per-capita non-rent basket. A person living alone typically spends somewhat more per head (fixed costs not shared) — this figure is the reproducible household-survey floor. City files (Madrid/Barcelona) run higher; Valencia/smaller cities lower.
Gasto mensual por categoría (sin alquiler)
Athens
Barcelona
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023, Table 1 (COICOP shares)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- ELSTAT HBS 2023 Table 1 per-household monthly amounts, with €59.5 rent removed from the Housing line, each divided by household size 2.42 and converted at 1.1399. Items sum to ≈$766. Housing here is utilities/energy/water/maintenance only (rent excluded); Greek energy costs are relatively high, keeping that line large.
INE — Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 2024 (household budget survey)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- INE EPF 2024 per-household COICOP category spending, rent removed (imputed rent €9,299 stripped from the housing group, utilities kept), divided by average household size 2.50 to a per-capita non-rent basket, converted at EUR/USD 1.1399. Categories sum to the ~$941/mo cost-of-living aggregate. National per-capita basis — living alone in Madrid/Barcelona runs higher.
01Transport
Athensmás barato
$104
Barcelona
$147
02Food & non-alcoholic drinks
Athens
—
Barcelona
$205
03Food & non-alcoholic beverages
Athens
$164
Barcelona
—
04Restaurants & eating out
Athens
—
Barcelona
$128
05Health (out-of-pocket)
Athens
$61
Barcelonamás barato
$52
06Recreation & culture
Athensmás barato
$35
Barcelona
$64
07Clothing & footwear
Athensmás barato
$37
Barcelona
$54
08Restaurants, cafes & hotels
Athens
$90
Barcelona
—
09Utilities, energy, water & home upkeep (excl. rent)
Athens
$84
Barcelona
—
10Communications
Athensmás barato
$34
Barcelona
$42
11Miscellaneous goods & services
Athens
$67
Barcelona
—
12Utilities (water, electricity, gas)
Athens
—
Barcelona
$66
13Education
Athens
$27
Barcelonamás barato
$21
14Household goods
Athens
—
Barcelona
$48
15Insurance & financial services
Athens
—
Barcelona
$48
16Personal care & misc.
Athens
—
Barcelona
$47
17Alcohol & tobacco
Athens
$27
Barcelonamás barato
$17
18Household durables & equipment
Athens
$35
Barcelona
—
Total (sin alquiler)
Athens$765/mes
Barcelona$939/mes
04
Vivienda
Alquiler por tipo de vivienda
Alquiler de oferta: precio en el centro, con el de fuera del centro entre paréntesis ($/mes).
Athens
Barcelona
Spitogatos Price Index — Athens asking rents (Q1 2026), central vs suburban €/m²
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 mar 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Spitogatos asking €/m²/month × standardized sizes (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²) × 1.1399 USD/EUR. Center = central Athens (Kentro) ~€11.5/m²; outside = suburban West/East Athens ~€9.3/m² (Spitogatos Q1 2026 index). E.g. 1br center = 11.5×40×1.1399 = $524.
- Notas
- DERIVED (€/m² × standardized size), not observed per-listing medians. Athens rents rose sharply post-2021 under short-term-rental (Airbnb) pressure. 'Center' is the central-district average (~€11.5/m²); prime pockets run higher — Kolonaki €14–18/m², the Riviera (Glyfada/Vouliagmeni) €14–20+/m².
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Incasòl 2025 annual price per m² by district: central core (Ciutat Vella 18.1, Eixample 16.8, Gràcia 17.7) mean 17.53 €/m²; outer districts (Horta-Guinardó 15.0, Nou Barris 13.4, Sant Andreu 14.1) mean 14.17 €/m². Cells = €/m² × typical surface (studio 35 m², 1br 50 m², 2br 70 m², 3br 90 m²), converted at 1 EUR = 1.1399 USD (fx-rates.json 2026-07-02). Sanity check: derived 2br-center €1,227 ≈ Eixample district observed average €1,284 (≈76 m²).
- Notas
- DERIVED matrix: Incasòl publishes average rent and €/m² by district but not by bedroom count, and not as a center/outside × room-count grid. The center/outside split uses observed central vs outer district €/m²; the room-count dimension uses typical Spanish apartment surfaces. Directly observed inputs are the district €/m² values; the studio/1br/2br/3br cells are derived. These are registered-contract rents under Catalan rent control and sit below open-market asking rents.
01Estudio
Athensmás barato
$393$318 fuera del centro
Barcelona
$699$565 fuera del centro
021 dormitorio
Athensmás barato
$524$424 fuera del centro
Barcelona
$999$808 fuera del centro
032 dormitorios
Athensmás barato
$787$636 fuera del centro
Barcelona
$1399$1131 fuera del centro
043 dormitorios
Athensmás barato
$1114$901 fuera del centro
Barcelona
$1798$1454 fuera del centro
05
Seguridad
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearAthens0,8Barcelonamejor0,7
Qué mide esto
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Cuanto más bajo, mejor· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días
Athens
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
Barcelona
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101, per 100k)
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Latest year 2024 = 0.72 per 100k (2023: 0.69; 2022: 0.69). Spain is among the safer EU countries for intentional homicide.
06
Clima
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearAthens5Barcelonamejor7
Qué mide esto
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Cuanto más alto, mejor· pleasant months/year· se vuelve a verificar cada 3650 días
Athens
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Climates to Travel 1991–2020, Athens/Ellinikon)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2020
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: Mar (16.5), Apr (20.2), May (25.2), Oct (23.8), Nov (18.8) = 5. Excluded: Jan/Feb/Dec (max 13.3–14.7°C); Jun–Sep (max 28.9–33.4°C). All months satisfy the precip test (max 60 mm). Athens's hot summers and cool winters leave the two shoulder seasons as the pleasant stretch.
Barcelona
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA/WMO 1991–2020, WMO 08181)
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2020
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Mar (16.8), Apr (18.9), May (22.2), Jun (26.2), Sep (26.7), Oct (22.7), Nov (17.9) = 7. Jan/Feb/Dec miss (max ≈14°C); Jul (29.0) and Aug (29.7) exceed 28°C. All months are under the 150mm precipitation cap.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Athens14,2Barcelonamejor14
Qué mide esto
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Cuanto más bajo, mejor· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días
Athens
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- 2024 annual mean PM2.5 averaged across 5 EEA-reporting monitoring stations in the Athens area, from EEA verified data compiled by the EU Air Quality Tracker.
- Notas
- ≈2.8× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU annual limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Down markedly from ~22 µg/m³ in 2019 (IQAir), consistent with the declining trend. Underlying authority is the EEA (third-party presentation of EEA-verified 2024 data).
Barcelona
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2024
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Population-weighted city exposure to annual-mean PM2.5 in 2024 = 14 µg/m³ (ASPB report, executive summary). Gravimetric-method station annual means for 2024 (ASPB Taula 3): Eixample 15, Gràcia-Sant Gervasi 15, Plaça Universitat 15, Poblenou 13, Zona Universitària (background) 12, Vall d'Hebron 10 µg/m³.
- Notas
- Roughly 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); below the current EU limit value (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10) at all stations except Vall d'Hebron. PM2.5 levels have been broadly stable in Barcelona since 2013 while NO2 has fallen. City-level official figure from the municipal public-health agency; consistent with the EEA European city air quality viewer methodology (population-weighted annual mean).
07
Sanidad
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldAthens1368Barcelonamejor821
Qué mide esto
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Cuanto más bajo, mejor· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días
Athens
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Midpoint of local comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) annual premiums for a healthy 35-year-old, €600–1,800 from major Greek insurers (mid-range €100–180/month) → ~€1,200/yr × 1.1399 = $1,368.
- Notas
- Public cover exists via EOPYY (funded through EFKA contributions), but waiting lists and gaps drive a large private market. Local plans run cheaper than international/expat plans ($2,000–4,000+/yr). Greek insurers raised premiums ~14% in 2025 — a rising curated midpoint, not a firm quote.
Barcelona
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 4 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Comprehensive Spanish private health policies (póliza de salud) include outpatient AND hospitalization/inpatient by default. For a healthy 35-year-old, full-cover plans run ≈ €45–52/mo with modest copays and ≈ €65–90/mo copay-free (Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV — 2026 published ranges). Comprehensive midpoint ≈ €60/mo ≈ €720/yr ≈ $821 at EUR/USD 1.1399 (range ≈ $615–$1,230/yr).
- Notas
- Residents in the contributory system have public healthcare (Sistema Nacional de Salud); private cover is optional and widely bought for speed/choice. Premiums are quoted on request and vary by province (Madrid/Barcelona highest) and copay structure, so this is a curated market midpoint on a comprehensive (outpatient+inpatient) basis, not a single public quote.
08
Dinero y cripto
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Crypto regulationAthensLegal regulatedBarcelonaLegal regulated
Qué mide esto
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 180 días
Athens
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 10 abr 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- EU MiCA applies and was transposed by Law 5193/2025 (10 April 2025), with CASP licensing and EU passporting, supervised by HCMC and the Bank of Greece. Individual crypto capital gains are taxed at a flat 15% (from 1 Jan 2025), with a €500 annual tax-free threshold and 5-year loss carry-forward. Fully legal and now clearly regulated/taxed rather than a grey area.
Barcelona
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Holding/trading legal for individuals. Gains on disposal (to fiat OR crypto-to-crypto swaps, which ARE taxable, unlike Poland) are savings income (renta del ahorro) taxed 19–30% under IRPF; FIFO applies. EU MiCA fully applicable in Spain from 1 July 2026 (CASPs licensed/supervised by CNMV and Banco de España); DAC8 reporting from 2026. Buying with fiat is not a taxable event.
02+−Financial control levelAthensModerateBarcelonamejorLow
Qué mide esto
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días
Athens
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: EUR (eurozone), full EU free movement of capital; the 2015 crisis-era capital controls were fully lifted on 1 September 2019, so funds move abroad without restriction. Offsetting this: Greece has the STRICTEST cash-payment cap in the EU (€500 for consumer transactions; breaches fined at double the amount) plus routine AML/CASP reporting. The open capital account alone reads 'low', but the €500 everyday-cash restriction pulls the composite up to 'moderate'.
- Notas
- A 2025–26 proposal to cut the cap to €200 was withdrawn; the €500 limit remains.
Barcelona
Agencia Tributaria — límite de pagos en efectivo (Ley 11/2021); eurozone member, no capital controls
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 ene 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Composite: eurozone member, euro fully convertible, no currency/capital controls (free EU capital movement). Cash-payment limit €1,000 per transaction when a party acts as business/professional (Ley 11/2021), €10,000 for non-resident private individuals. Standard EU CRS/DAC bank reporting and DAC8 for crypto; Modelo 720 declaration of foreign assets >€50,000 exists (informational). No exchange restrictions on personal funds; non-residents can open bank accounts (NIE required).
- Notas
- Modelo 720 foreign-asset reporting (>€50,000) is an information duty; EU Court struck down its disproportionate penalty regime in 2022, penalties since aligned to general rules. Overall personal money movement is free (low control) by the criterion's definition.
09
Infraestructura
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−Domestic delivery qualityAthensGoodBarcelonaGood
Qué mide esto
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días
Athens
Greek carrier networks (ELTA, ACS, BoxNow) — composite
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Dense mainland-city coverage: national couriers (ELTA post, ACS, Geniki Taxydromiki, Speedex) plus one of SE Europe's largest parcel-locker networks (BoxNow) and Skroutz Last Mile; cash-on-delivery ('αντικαταβολή') is mainstream. Athens/Thessaloniki are excellent, but ELTA's financial troubles and ferry-dependent island last-mile keep the national rating at 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
Barcelona
Correos official (network of delivery points, Citypaq lockers) + private carriers
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Correos ~13,000 attention/pickup points (2,380 offices + rural points + 2,115+ Citypaq lockers, plus new Punto Correos convenience points, end-2025); SEUR, MRW, GLS, DHL, UPS, Correos Express operate nationwide with tracking; 24–48h delivery standard in cities. Locker density lower than the most locker-dense EU markets, so classified 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
- Notas
- Reliable, tracked 1–3 day domestic delivery with a growing parcel-locker network (Citypaq); to-door and PUDO pickup both common.
02+−International delivery easeAthensmejorSeamlessBarcelonaMinor friction
Qué mide esto
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días
Athens
EU single market / customs union membership (Greece) + integrator coverage
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Qualitative rating from EU membership: as an EU/Schengen customs-union member, intra-EU parcels move without customs or border VAT, so the bulk of European e-commerce is frictionless, and all major integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS, ACS/Aramex) operate → 'seamless'. Minor caveats (not enough to downgrade): Greece is geographically peripheral (a day or two longer than core-EU hubs), non-EU imports clear customs normally, and island delivery adds domestic delay.
- Notas
- Intra-EU frictionless; the geographic periphery and islands add some transit time but not customs friction.
Barcelona
Fuente oficial
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed EU-wide on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3-per-item customs duty applies to ≤€150 consignments (until 2028); VAT already collected at checkout via IOSS since 2021. Predictable but no longer duty-free; DHL/UPS/FedEx/SEUR clear customs routinely.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadAthens37,3Barcelonamejor50,4
Qué mide esto
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Cuanto más alto, mejor· Mbps, median fixed download· se vuelve a verificar cada 365 días
Athens
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Greece
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for GR in 2023 = 37.3 Mbps (268,076 download tests; daily medians ranged 21.3–47.3). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads below Ookla-style tests — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notas
- Greece's fixed broadband is improving as fibre rolls out; the single-stream M-Lab median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Barcelona
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Spain
Datos abiertos
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 dic 2023
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Median of 344 daily country medians, 9,298,577 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2024 file is partial at 86 days with a similar 52.5 Mbps median).
- Notas
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Spain has extensive FTTH coverage; real advertised fibre speeds are far higher than this test-based median.
10
Idioma
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−English proficiencyAthensmejorHighBarcelonaModerate
Qué mide esto
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Valorado por categoría· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días
Athens
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
Barcelona
EF EPI 2025 (Spain rank 36/123, score 540 — Moderate band)
Estudio
- Datos a fecha de
- 1 nov 2025
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Notas
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First; Spain score 540, Moderate band, weakest in speaking 462). English is workable in tourist/hospitality zones and among younger urban professionals, but limited in government offices, healthcare, and everyday services outside big cities — a moderate rating for daily life.
11
Educación
CriterioAthensBarcelona
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countAthens14Barcelonamejor21
Qué mide esto
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Cuanto más alto, mejor· accredited international schools, count· se vuelve a verificar cada 730 días
Athens
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 15 jul 2026
- Verificado
- 15 jul 2026
- Método
- Count of IB World Schools in the Athens/Attica metro (accreditor: International Baccalaureate): ACS Athens, International School of Athens, St. Catherine's British School, Campion School, Pierce–The American College of Greece, Costeas-Geitonas, Geitonas School, Doukas School, Platon School, Athens College, DES Schools, Lampiri School, International Metropolitan School, International School of Piraeus = 14. Flagship schools independently confirmed via their own sites.
- Notas
- Verified FLOOR, IB-accreditation basis only (the true count is higher — it excludes the German School of Athens (Abitur) and the Lycée Franco-Hellénique (AEFE), plus Cambridge centres). Greece has 22 IB World Schools nationally. ±2 on the IB count.
Barcelona
Recopilado por SettleMetric
- Datos a fecha de
- 31 oct 2023
- Verificado
- 4 jul 2026
- Método
- Count of schools in the Barcelona metropolitan area (Barcelona city + AMB/commuter belt: Esplugues, El Prat, Sant Joan Despí, Gavà, Castelldefels, Sitges, Sant Cugat, Sant Pere de Ribes) that offer a qualification tied to a named accreditor in the official Ajuntament table: IB (IBDP/IBCP/PYP/MYP), Cambridge International (iGCSE/GCSE/A-Level), AEFE-homologated French (Baccalauréat), German ZfA (Abitur), or US (American HSD + AP). AEFE homologation verified on aefe.gouv.fr (Lycée Français de Barcelone, Lycée Bon Soleil/Gavà, Lycée Bel Air, École Ferdinand-de-Lesseps); Deutsche Schule Barcelona verified as German-government-recognised; Cambridge schools (Highlands, ES American, Princess Margaret) cross-checked on cambridgeinternational.org.
- Notas
- ±3 uncertainty. Counted 21 metro schools with an accreditor-mapped qualification. Excluded: schools outside the metro core (Terrassa, Canet de Mar, Llinars del Vallès, La Garriga incl. CIS-member SEK Catalunya), and in-metro schools the official table lists with N/A qualifications so the accreditor could not be confirmed from this source (e.g. BSB City Campus, St. George, Zürich Schule) — several of these are very likely British/Cambridge or German-accredited, so the true figure is probably higher. IB and Cambridge public 'find-a-school' registries are Cloudflare-protected and could not be queried directly; where possible, individual schools were confirmed against their accreditor. Source table is dated Oct 2023 (latest official Ajuntament edition).