Barcelona is one of the most expensive cities in Spain. The central area of the city, in particular El Exaimple, is popular with foreigners who choose to live in the city rather than one of the outlying suburbs. A two-bedroomed apartment in this area can cost anything from 600 to 800 euros per month. A two-bedroomed apartment in the Marina area will be around 1000 euros per month. Apartments can be found cheaper in other areas of the city, but the location and standard of the apartment may not be to many people's liking.

Most rentals will not include utility bills, which needs to be added to your budget. The community charge - a monthly payment which covers maintenance and cleaning of communal areas - should be included, but this needs to be checked before signing any rental agreement.

The cost of buying an apartment in Barcelona also varies wildly - anything from 150,000 to 500,000 depending on size and area.

Many expats prefer to live outside of the city, in areas such as Sitges or Llobregat, where duplexes and houses are more common. Again, the price in these areas are higher than in other areas of Spain. The minimum price, for example, of a 3-bedroomed detached house in Llobregat is around 350,000 euros.

There are a number of English speaking newspapers and websites which have property listings. Among the online newspapers are www.barcelonareporter.com and barcelona.angloinfo.com. Other online property listings sites include www.pisobarcelona.com, www.rent-loft-barcelona.com and www.segundamano.es.

There are also a number of English speaking estate agents in the city, a list of which can be found here.

Property owners in Spain pay two taxes per year on the accommodation they own. The first is the Impuesto sobre Buenes Inmuebles (IB) which is calculated from the cost of the property and land, and is paid at the local tax office SUMA. A list of local offices can be found at www.suma.es. In addition, yearly rates are paid to the local council (Ayuntamiento) to cover costs for street maintenance and waste collection, and the cost varies depending on the area in which the property is situated.