Top 5 Pros of living in Barcelona | Students’ favorite city

Since it’s likely going to have a huge impact on your overall education and professional experience, picking the perfect city to study or work abroad is a crucial decision for your future.

In fact, it’s almost like choosing your second home, and there are indeed many factors to take into account in order to make the best possible decision, and with its long history in higher education, Barcelona represents the perfect match for students and professionals aiming to achieve their personal and professional goals and expanding their vision.

Our vibrant and welcoming city is always ready to greet foreign guests, and whether you’re considering doing your Bachelor’s, Master’s, or MBA here at ESEI, or even if you are just looking for new career opportunities, you should definitely take a look at these 5 truths about living in this increasingly cosmopolitan metropolis.

Pros of Living in Barcelona:

1. Living in Barcelona is less expensive than in other cities in Europe

Compared to other major capitals in Europe, the Catalan capital is a relatively cheap city to live in.

Statistics show that in order to live comfortably in Barcelona you have to expect a cost of living around 700€ per month, rent included.

Of course, just like all cities, it has both expensive and cheap options, so it’s up to you to make good deals when it comes to getting the perfect accommodation.

At ESEI, we work with different partners to provide the most appropriate housing solutions to make your move as easy as possible, offering our students a variety of solutions that include private or shared apartments and student dorms.
Feel free to check them out here.

We also have a variety of scholarships that can save you up to 10% of the programme tuition, but keep in mind that requests should be made no later than 2 months before the programme start date. More information on the requirements is on this page.

2. It’s a great place for Startups and Tech Hubs

As we had occasion to say in this article, if you’re an entrepreneur-to-be who is willing to study at ESEI and/or planning to make your business grow in this vibrant city, be happy to know that moving to Barcelona is the best possible decision you could ever make.

Particularly, not far from our school you can find El Poblenou, Barcelona’s old textile and chemicals district, which is now home to a district dedicated to innovation and technological development, which is known as 22@Barcelona.

The growing popularity of 22@Barcelona among entrepreneurs, which is often compared to the most famous Silicon Valley, contributes to make Barcelona the top city for startups in Spain in 2022.

3. It’s the perfect place to build networks

Being Barcelona a mixing pot of cultures and people from all corners of the world, you can easily figure out that our city has always something going on when it comes to building connections among its inhabitants, be them local or not.

First and foremost, we grant our students that, thanks to our professors’ and students’ participative attitude, at ESEI they will find the perfect environment to join in collaborations and social gatherings that will likely lead to meaningful connections.

Secondly, Barcelona’s business ecosystem is incredibly rich in professional meetings and co-working spaces, which both represent a huge resource to bridge together creators, innovators, designers and entrepreneurs.

4. It really is an international city

Lastly, we talk about languages, and living in Barcelona will undoubtedly allow you to discover a variety of accents and languages.

Your first walk to Las Ramblas will make you realize that Catalan is the dominant language in Barcelona, which unlike it is commonly believed, along with Spanish is Catalonia’s official language, and not a Spanish dialect.

Even if both of these languages are widely spoken in the City, as statistics show, around 19,200 native English speakers have made their home in Barcelona, so if you’re a foreigner with a good English, knowing little to no Spanish or Catalan should represent no significant problem.

What’s more, at ESEI we pride ourselves on offering programmes taught 100% in English by international professors of eleven different nationalities.

English is our working language, but for those interested in immersing in the culture and moving around like a local, here you can find our Spanish courses.

5. Living in Barcelona gives you plenty of options for your free time

Last but not least, after a long day of study and work, you can balance the stress with many options for your days off and nights out.

From culture to the bar culture, Barcelona’s opportunities to spend your free time will inspire you to make the best of your Catalonian days.

We share many of the local hot spots on our social media – make sure to check out our Tik Tok, Instagram and Linkedin account.

However, before booking your next flight to Barcelona, keep in mind that if you are a citizen of a country outside the European Union and the European Economic Area and Switzerland, you will need a Spanish Student Visa to study at ESEI.

If you plan to do so, we recommend that you start the process of your Visa application as early as possible.

Please, take note that if you are not a student but are willing to stay here for more than 90 days, you’ll need a local ID in order to open a bank account, enter into a work contract or purchase a car.

In both cases, we suggest that you contact the Spanish consulate in your region for more information about when and how to start these procedures.

Oh, and remember: the best thing about settling in another country is that you get the unique chance to reinvent yourself and give a fresh start to your career.

You can start doing so by checking out our programmes here.

We hope to see you here at ESEI very soon!