Catalans LOVE IT when foreigners make the effort to speak catalan, even if it's just a few words or key phrases; it shows you actually care about the city and its people. Sure, everyone will understand you if you speak spanish, but locals will love you if you try catalan. A simple "merci" (not in a french accent, very commonly used in Barcelona) or "siusplau" instead of "gracias" or "porfavor" is enough for a catalan speaker to look at you differently, as someone who has been here for a while and has been around locals.
So true. I've been in Barcelona both when I only spoke Spanish a few years ago, and again this year after having learnt Catalan (from abroad). Most Catalans were happy and surprised to hear a foreigner speak their language and my experience was 100% nicer. Best bit is talking to elderly Catalan people, they open up much more easily and tell you great stories🥰
@@paolabrown Ens agrada molt que es faci l'esforç d'apendre català, no estem gaire acostumats a que ho facin, sobre tot per part de l'Estat Espanyol. Gràcies
@@ams7528 Hey, we are in the process of doing it. We will go to Barcelona in around 2 weeks time and start looking for places to rent. We are actually trying to book something for 2 weeks/month now and are struggling to find something nice... My gf will document the journey on her channel if you fancy following it: ru-vid.com
I have lived in Barcelona on and off for a number of years, and currently live in Barcelona. I am leaving soon and can't wait. Here is my two cents on what its like to live in Barcelona. First of all, if you like things like...oh I don't know earning some half decent money, Barcelona is NOT for you. Barcelona and Spain in general has a 15% unemployment rate. The jobs that are here are mostly menial service jobs catering to the tourist industry. Many people hustle to get by and do menial gig jobs like Glove food delivery and stuff to get by. The proper jobs here pay virtually NOTHING. How low are salaries in Barcelona/Spain? Well, a STEM job that pays around 100,000 Euros a year in Germany will get you around 26,000 a year in Barcelona. Even doctors make next to nothing in Barcelona. And after the high taxes, you'll take home about 1,400 Euros a month. IF you're lucky. Thats just enough to rent a crappy studio apartment or be roommates with 2 other people because rent in Spain is expensive. Very few people, not even professionals can afford their own place. 45 year old roommates anyone?! Luckily, I am on a German salary. Secondly, housing quality in Barcelona is BAD. Most places have paper thin walls, you will hear your neighbours use the bathroom, and smell their cooking. Many places give off a general 60s-70s vibe. Many also cover things up that like badly constructed and dangerous electrical wiring, mold, and dirty rusty water pipes. Just go look at the jumbled mess of exposed wiring that is most building wiring as you walk around Barcelona and you will be horrified. Once you get over the GaGa-eyes of being in Spain, you will see that Spain is not quite a first world country. It likes to think that it is, but in reality Its more like a 0.8 or 0.9 world country. Almost there, but not quite. Barcelona also has INSANE car traffic and as a result has the worst air quality of any European city. There is constant noise pollution from never ending car traffic and the throngs of tourists. It is also a never ending concrete jungle with almost no green space and insanely overcrowded. You will be in crowds of people almost everywhere you go, especially during high tourist season. 30 million people visit Barcelona every year. You think the beaches will be awesome? They are insanely polluted with garbage and literal vomit everywhere. Locals are smart enough to never go to those beaches, but usually go to beaches out of town. Then there is the INSANE heat for 9 months out of the year. Its so hot that going outside and doing pretty much anything is not going to be fun because you will a.) be in a sea of people, mostly tourists, and b.) will be drenched in sweat almost immediately upon leaving the house. Oh and did I mention most apartments in Barcelona don't have heating or AC? If youre one of the lucky ones with AC you WILL be running it constantly and that will be big time $$$$$ expensive. Also, barcelona super markets disappoint. There is very little choice in terms of international food, vegan food, or anything like that. Barcelona super markets are piss poor compared to the amazing ones they have in France, Germany, or the Netherlands, in terms of diversity of products. Next is the bureaucracy. There is some bureaucracy in all EU countries but Spain takes it to the next level. Government appointments can only be made on a website from the 1990s that gets overloaded and crashes all the time, and the offices are only open at the convenient times from 10am to 2pm during the week. You will need a NIE (a government identify number) to do just about ANYTHING. Want to open a bank account? You'll need a NIE for that. Want to get a cell phone SIM card? You'll need a NIE for that. Want to start your own business and become a freelancer? Don't worry, the Spanish government will make sure that its not worth your time. If you want to be a freelancer in Spain for example, you will have to pay a MINIMUM of 300 Euros in taxes to the government every month. Regardless if you made any money or not. Next is crime. Barcelona is one of the most crime ridden cities in Barcelona. This is because unemployment is high, and pay and economic opportunities are low, and because Barcelona is a major destination target for illegal immigration from poor Latin American, South American, northern African countries. The result is that crime is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than in most EU cities. I'm not talking violent crime, you can walk Barcelona safely at all hours of the day or night, but robbery and theft and scams are big here. Criminals will grab your phone or handbag right out of your hands and run if you're not careful. Happened to me while I was using my Apple phone in the Gotico neighbourhood one night. Yank!! and it was gone right outta my hand. Next, if you really look at it objectively, Barcelona is just an ugly and grimy city. Graffiti is everywhere, and it is filled to the brim with what I call SLUM SHOPS. Every block in Barcelona is filled with mostly slum shops. What are slum shops? They are these small, nasty, convenience stores called "supermarcados" with the same nasty, old stuff for sale. And they are EVERYWHERE. Between the supermercados, you have these nasty little no name dingy "cervecería" bars that usually are empty except for one or two old people and that sell beer, and nasty microwaved food. You would be crazy to eat anything from these places. They look like they never get health inspected. Between the Supermercados and Cerveserias, you'll find the cheap Chinese junk knick-knack stores, and between them, cheap tourist souvenirs shops. And these repeat every block, and sometimes, even multiple times per block and they all sell the same things. Its not uncommon to see 2 or 3 dingy supermercados or cerverserias right next to each other. They make most of Barcelona look and feel like the third-world. Also, most people in Barcelona smoke and have tattoos. So, if thats not your thing, you might want to take that into note. And lastly, Barcelona most egregious sin, is that almost the entire city SMELLS LIKE LITERAL POO! You see, because Barcelona's sewer was built so poorly and not maintained and upgraded like those of other EU countries, sewer gases escape up and onto the street from almost everywhere. That means you will be walking along, and suddenly get slammed in the face with the pungent and repugnant aroma of the sewer poo and urine of a million people. I kidd you not! And it will make your eyes water and you will want to vomit its that disgusting. It's worse in the summer than the winter. Its totally nasty and I don't understand how the people of Barcelona are just "cool with it" and not make the necessary investment to fix it. Now, having said all that, don't get me wrong, Barcelona is a GREAT two week vacation. But to live here, you will quickly grow tired of the constant noise, bad air, cheaply built yet expensive housing, the lack of green space, the piss poor job and economic prospects, the insane overcrowding, and the lack of personal space. You will quickly come to hate the tourists as most locals do. I am leaving Barcelona very soon and I can't wait to get the hell out of here and to be able to breathe some fresh air and see some greenery and have space to walk without 1000 people around me at all times. Most young spaniards and particularly Barcelonians leave Spain if they have the means and the skills to do so.
I must have searched hundreds of videos about jobs in Barcelona but ended up with nothing. I like that you covered that. I hope you can do more of that as I am not yet looking to retire and I heard jobs there are hard to come by. I am a UX designer with solid digital marketing skills. I also have some coding skills but not as good. Any tips on how I can find a job in these fields? Or how to network with expats in these fields?
Hi Denniszen, your experience and field of work is very much in demand in Barcelona. How most of the people I know found their jobs is by looking/being approached by someone via Linkedin. So that's what i'd suggest to do. Changing your location / setting status as open for positions there. You definitely can find quite few advertisements from international companies there too , they usually outsource in Barcelona and jobs are in English.
Great video, very informational. I’m currently pursuing UX Design, live in the U.S. but interested in moving to Spain, so I appreciate you making this video and also the response to this message.
if you want to make any money, stay away from Spain. Skilled people in Spain are paid at the salary level unskilled people are paid in other countries.
Now a topic you forgot to mention about housing: AIRBNB is taking almost the whole Barceloneta, so prices are high for small appartments (expect 30m2) due to this, also in the Gothic Quarter, or even Gràcia due to this and foreigners coming up to the city learning way more than locals and not being aware of prices. About getting around: Subway and bus are your friends. If you don't like to share transportation then a motorbike is the best. We are the 2nd city in number of bikes in Europe due to...... having 7 hills in the city. Barcelona is NOT plain and so there are hills and climbs to be done. Motorbikes are the perfect tool here and it just works. Now, expect to have at least one motorbike (also for bicycles) stolen in Barcelona in your lifetime. There are mafias stealing both every day. About language if you wanna make friends as many comented before you better go with catalan, no doubts. From a Barcelonian born and raised.
Los catslanes hablamos indistintamente catalán y castellano. Las amistades no se hacen porque hables catalán sino porque te entiendas con el otro. Hable catalán o castellano somos bilingues. Es como un escocés con un inglés. O un inglés con un irlandés.
Hi! Do you have recs for website where to find an appartment? And would you recommend coming to barcelona and look from there, or is it safe to already book an appartment in advance? Thanks!
Hey Isa, websites id use are idealista ( for room and flat ) and badi ( for room ). I personally moved first , but had already few meetings for a room agreed. Usually finding a flat is a bit of a longer process and good ones usually go really fast.
Labai įdomus ir informativus video, pats planuoju gyventi Ispanijoje ir mokinuosi ispanų kalbos, taip pat norejau pasakyti, kad puikiai kalbi anglškai, linkiu didelės sekmės!❤
Hey , I think its quite decent , there is a bit of something for everyone. I have some friends who just started podcast “Rola talks” and the primarily focus on music creators and scene here.
You’re talking about highs of 10 and lows of 0 in winter - are you actually in the city? That’s just WAAY below what is listed in Wikipedia and weatherspark (where 15-9 and 14-5c are the numbers listed as typical lows/highs in winter)
Hi Lokmen, glad to hear it was helpful ! i'd be pretty hesitant to give an advice as I don't have direct experience or close relationships with people who studied hospitality management in Barcelona
Great video! I'm also considering moving to Barcelona, but it's really hard to find a decent job for me because I don't know anybody there. How did you found your job and what do you do for a living?
Hi Tim, what industry you're in ? If you're in digital marketing/programming/web development it might be quite easy to find something here. I work in digital marketing, I had this job in London so for me it was just an office switch really.
Hi, thanks so much! Very useful. I only stuggle to understand how much can I earn if I worked for a barcelona based company, in marketing. I have 7 y of working experience out of which almost 2 in marketing. Is there any way i could see how much net can i earn per month?
Hi Ksenija, glad it was useful ! It really depends on what kind of marketing it is. Also , there are international companies that are based in Barcelona and they usually pay a bit more. As far as I know if you work with marketing technologies, starting level salary in international company is somewhere around 26k and it goes up from there based on experience ( of which you have plenty of ) . If it's pure marketing , I don't unfortunately have any close friends in the field I could reference salary from.
@@PauliusCreates thanks so much, I really appreciate your response. So I work for toyota europe and i do marketing communications, camapaign project management, agencies do all the job for us. I would like to stay in that field but my fear is that I do not have enough of experience in marketing for a senior position, coz I work in marketing since 18months. Before that I worked in sales planning for another 5.5years. So sorry for many questions, but do you know if they count years in tel or years in the field you would work? Also when toi say 26k, is that then 26k/12 and then I get net salary or it's with more salaries included? So it would be like 2.2k right?
@@KsenijaMika It really depends on the company and position. If they will see previous experience as beneficial for the position you're applying in, potentially they will count it in. For salary calculation / conversion I'd use a website like : salaryaftertax.com/es/salary-calculator where it takes into account all the taxes for you. Looking at 26k there , it would be around 1.7k monthly after tax. It might be worth checking glassdoor when you find a job/position and it would give you a better idea on how much they are potentially paid there.
@@PauliusCreates do you think there are part-time jobs for IT helpdesk? Ill be taking my masters in barcelona and would need some supplementary income. i have more than 15 years of work experience in IT helpdesk and speak both english and spanish. btw, this video is really informative!
Bus is probably the best choice in terms of public transport. Depending on the stations metro can be a good choice, but the problem would be that not every station has a lift and some of them have a lot to stairs. Tram is another good option , only issue that it's not connecting whole city.
Labas Pauliau, the Lithuanian in me is also always ordering patatas bravas when in Spain 🤣 it might really have something to do with the potato blood 🤷🏻♀️
I would advise folks to learn Catalan over Spanish if planning to live in Barcelona. And while you can certainly live in BCN in Spanish, it is first a Catalan speaking city and is the language of Catalunya. Learning Catalan will strengthen your connections and freindship with the locals, plus they will appreciate your efforts more than if you learned Spanish.
Hi Anthony, thanks for your comment. I partially agree and disagree. You are absolutely right saying that Barcelona is Catalan speaking city first and that it will be easier to build stronger friendships with locals if you speak their language. I would even add that in some industries it is one of the requirements to speak Catalan ( for example if you're a teacher ). But at the same time there are a lot of people from other parts of Spain as well as latin America who live here thus making Spanish more versatile. Also majority of international companies in tech don't require you to know Catalan ( or in a lot of cases even Spanish ).
@@PauliusCreates I don't speak much Spanish at all. Truth is I've just never mustered up enough interest in the language to learn it. It's just not there, and that's coming from somebody who lived in California for 25 years! I have a Catalan partner and like millions of other Catalans, he lives his professional and personal life only in Català (except with me, we speak English together). He advised me to learn Catalan since we live in Catalunya. I found Catalan easy to learn because I also have a fair command of French. The similaries between the two languages are sometimes jaw dropping. I find that I am able to understand written (and slowly spoken) Català much much better than Spanish. Think I'll stick with learning more Catalan becasue I believe it serves me and my cicumstances much better than Spanish.
Depending on spending habits , for a room in shared flat (500€ a month) something like 12k should be enough , for a flat on your own 14-18k is on a low end but doable
I see your point. Reason I went on talking about spanish is because unless you have relatives who are catalan most likely you won't speak the language. There are more people who may have picked up Spanish at school though or that's what they would most likely study after coming here.
@@PauliusCreates My wife and her family all speak Catalan. I tried to learn it at first but it's pointless. If you're an immigrant like I am you must learn Spanish to be able to gain citizenship because they test only your Spanish proficiency. Additionally, many people in Catalonia only speak Spanish so why wouldn't you learn the most inclusionary language? Also all Catalan language courses and apps (like duolingo) are taught in Spanish..
@@Gewehr_3 thanks for this info. I am sure a lot of people will find it helpful I absolutely agree that Spanish would be more versatile, but maybe Catalan, will make you feel more integrated in Catalunya, it seems you have unique perspective though :)
I think it really depends. There are areas in the city that are more dangerous than the others. Before COVID there was also a lot of issues with pickpockets around more touristic areas. You'd also encounter scammers like in a lot of other touristic European cities , but those are pretty obvious. Personally I haven't encountered many problems and haven't been mugged, but I have some friends who have. It's important to pay attention to your surroundings and avoid some of the more dangerous neighbourhoods at night.
I experienced theft in Barcelona first-hand, my phone was stolen together with my credit card and T-Jove metro card which is pretty expensive :( However, it didn't happen on a crowded street but in a supermarket, so it's kinda of a bummer 😅 on the streets I was super careful but I guess after a few months there I got too relaxed, something you can never do. Luckily I blocked my card before any money was stolen and my insurance covered the phone loss, so if you're staying for a few months or a year make sure to have travel insurance! All in all, I loved Barcelona so much that this didn't spoil my experience, it was partially my fault for being careless, so just be very careful, never carry too much money or cards on you and you'll be okay! Don't go to La Rambla after it gets dark, even though it's a huge street it's dangerous in the night! Stay safe and good luck! 🥰
@@JorCoCos I never said you need Catalan to live in Barcelona. I said that it is the language that belongs to Barcelona, it is our language, so it is disrespectful to not even mention Catalan when speaking about Barcelona. Spanish is an additional language that is also spoken in Barcelona, but it is not the language of Barcelona. Maybe you are in need of some education, as you seem quite limited in your knowledge.
@@palimpsestransparent No, I am aware that it's the language of Barcelona. But you don't need it to live there. So you are here just to be a pedantic pain in the bum. And your miserable life brought you to write useless comments on a youtube video. You probably hit the thumbs down on the video, because... well you have a miserable life
@@JorCoCos your life sounds more miserable than mine, by the tone of your writing and your obsession with my simple comment. And no, I did not downvote the video.
Your comment is more " annoying " than him not mentioning Catalan. No one cares about your feelings, get over it. Choose your words better when criticizing.
