Barcelona's tourist tax went up again in April 2026, and it now adds about €8 per person, per night at most hotels. Timed tickets for the Sagrada Família and Park Güell, airport rides and card fees are what most visitors forget.
Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours.
Compare hotels in central Barcelona →The sample is 2 travelers for 4 nights. Your plan ($3,330) covers the main costs most people budget for, the ones you enter on the left. Costs people forget ($736, about 22% more for this trip) are the fees, taxes, tips and extras listed in the calculator. Prices were last checked on October 17, 2026.
Share of the $4,066 real cost. Nights and travelers multiply most of these costs, so changing either one moves the total the most.
6 of this trip's numbers link to a published price or rate. The rest are our estimates, and each one says what it is based on. You can also read how we calculate every trip.
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare per person | $900 per traveler | Our estimate of a typical round-trip economy fare to Barcelona from a major US airport; summer peaks run higher. Our estimate |
| Hotel per night | $220 a night | Our estimate for a mid-range double room in central Barcelona. Rates swing widely by season. Our estimate |
| Food per person, per day | $65 per traveler, per day | Our estimate for cafes, tapas and a sit-down dinner, about $65 per person a day. Our estimate |
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Checked bag fees Off by default | $90 per traveler | Most economy fares to Europe include one checked bag, so this is off by default. Basic economy fares charge extra. Source |
| Passports Off by default | $165 per traveler | A new adult passport costs about $165 and can take weeks. Our estimate |
| Airport transfers | $80 for the trip | A taxi to the center typically costs €30 to €40 each way, about $70 to $90 round trip. Source |
| City tourist tax | $9.50 per traveler, per night | Since April 1, 2026 the tax is €8.40 per person a night at four-star and €12 at five-star hotels. Source |
| Sagrada Família and Park Güell tickets | $50 per traveler | The basic Sagrada Familia ticket is €26; with Park Guell at about €18, the pair is roughly $50. Source |
| Sagrada Família towers Off by default | $11 per traveler | A ticket with tower access costs €36 instead of €26. Our estimate |
| Metro and bus fares | $15 per traveler | The T-casual card covers 10 journeys from €13, about $15, but not the airport metro stations. Source |
| Tips | $3 per traveler, per day | Tipping is optional in Spain; most people round up or leave small change. Our estimate |
| Phone data | $30 per traveler | An international plan or eSIM. Our estimate |
| Card fees | 3% of your plan | Foreign transaction fees on credit cards are usually around 3% of each purchase. Source |
| Travel insurance | 6% of your plan | Squaremouth says a comprehensive plan averages about 6% of the trip cost, usually 4% to 10%. Source |
| Pre-trip shopping | $60 for the trip | Our estimate for travel-size toiletries, sunscreen and small things bought before a trip. Our estimate |
| Pet boarding or sitter | $50 a day, if you check Pets | Dogster puts regular kennel boarding at about $35 to $85 a night. Overnight sitters at home cost more. Source |
For 4 nights with flights, a central hotel and food, plan on about $3,350. Once you add the costs most visitors forget, like the tourist tax, Sagrada Família and Park Güell tickets, airport taxis and card fees, it's closer to $4,050. Use the calculator above to match your own trip.
Since April 1, 2026, it's €8.40 per person, per night at four-star hotels and €12 at five-star hotels, combining the Catalan tax and the city's surcharge. Tourist apartments pay €9.50. For two people over 4 nights at a four-star hotel, that's about €67, usually paid at checkout. Source
Yes. Entry is by timed slot, and the official site opens dates about 60 days ahead. A basic ticket is €26, or €36 with a tower visit. Book on sagradafamilia.org to avoid reseller markups. Source
The metro's L9 Sud line needs a special airport ticket of €5.90, since regular T-casual rides aren't valid at the airport stations. The R2 Nord train is another option. A taxi to the center costs about €30 to €40. Source
For most visitors, yes. It covers 10 metro and bus rides for €13, compared with €2.90 for a single ticket. Just don't count on it for the airport metro. Source