After living in Barcelona for four months, here are my 5 top tips for saving money and living on a budget:
1. Eat locally - if you're heading out for tapas, go to a local restaurant and avoid the main tourist areas. You can easily order 2/3 tapas dishes and a drink for €10. However, if you eat near to Placa de Catalunya and Las Ramblas for example, you will probably be paying double.
2. Avoid eating out too much - buy as much of what you eat during the week from a supermarket or local fruit + veg market - my weekly shop in Barcelona was considerably cheaper than in the UK and I tried to buy my fruit and vegetables from a local market to save money and also support the local community!
3. Free activities - free walking tours! I'd highly recommend booking on the free walking tours if you're looking to save money whilst still enjoying Barcelona. The two tours I did were around the Gothic Quarter and around some of Gaudi's most famous works. The tours were essentially free but it is polite to give a tip. Most people gave €5-10. You can find these tours on the Runner Bean tours website!
4. Travel - buy the T-casual ticket for the metro. You get 10 trips for 11.35 euros whereas a normal single ticket is 2.40 euros. You will save so much money on transport if you buy the T-tickets rather an individual tickets every time you travel around Barcelona.
5. Book online - if you are looking to check out Parc Guell, Casa Mila, Casa Battlo etc - the price is cheaper if you book online. Also, if you are a student, make sure you bring your student card as there are lots of discounts available for students all around the city - especially sightseeing.
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