Here are a few notes I made while researching the purchase of a mattress in Spain. The mattress industry is aimed at confusing customers with excess supply, pushy sales tactics and high prices, so you have to be careful. Do not consider any company that offers a trial period of less than 100 days. For […]

Traveling by car is one of the most enjoyable parts of our travel, and personally, I feel very relaxed when driving a hired car in most places around the world. I have driven in both North America and Europe (as well as motorbikes in Asia) and it’s been an awesome experience every single time.

An important procedure that you need to do for newborns in Barcelona is to obtain the NIE card. A NIE number is a “Número de Identificación de Extranjeros” i.e. a “foreigner’s identification number” in Spain. Expats moving to Spain need an NIE number to work in Spain, take out private Spanish health insurance and apply for […]

TL;DR — Barcelona Rental Reality in 2026 Average rent: ~€1,550/month for a 1-bed, ~€2,050/month for a 2-bed (up 40-50% from 2020) Rent control is real: All of Barcelona is a zona tensionada — new contracts are capped by the government reference index Agency fees: Legally, landlords must pay them now (not you) — but some […]

Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in the world, and many people who come for a few months end up staying longer, sometimes even indefinitely. The biggest expense you will face in Barcelona will undoubtedly be that for your accommodation, usually in the form of an apartment. Rental prices typically range between 800 […]

Beach tennis is a sport that is becoming popular in Spain, and of course, Barcelona is a perfect place to practice this sport. Many tennis and padel players enjoy a good game of beach tennis in their downtime, while others dedicate themselves fully to beach tennis. In Barcelona, there are two good clubs/schools to get […]

Barcelona is quite a bike-friendly city. The number of bike lanes is always on the increase, and in general, drivers are quite conscious and respectful of cyclists, although you find exceptions. It is also a city that is plagued by comparatively high levels of air pollution, and even higher noise pollution due to the exceedingly […]

As a foreigner living in Spain, you have the dubious pleasure of having to declare all your assets abroad. Welcome to Spain! In this post, I’ll give you more information about this declaration that is known as modelo 720. If you think it’s ridiculous and unjust I’m totally in agreement. However, unfortunately, there is no […]

Barcelona is a fantastic place for food lovers. There is a wide variety of cuisines available to cater for all tastes and price points. Here are my favorites: Japanese Sato i Tanaka – A highly-regarded Japanese restaurant offering an intimate dining experience, with a focus on fresh sushi and creative fusion dishes, prepared by chefs […]

TL;DR: The must-have apps for Barcelona in 2026 are FreeNow (taxis), Smou (parking, Bicing, EV charging — the city’s all-in-one mobility app), Glovo (delivery), TMB (metro and bus), and Wallapop (buy/sell secondhand). Install those five and you’re covered for 90% of daily life. Living in Barcelona is an absolute blast, and these mobile apps will […]

If you are staying in Barcelona for a few months, or have moved there permanently (great decision!), you probably know that transportation options abound. You have the metro, bicycles, buses and of course, you can always opt to walk around. However, Barcelona is also the city with the biggest density of scooters in Europe. You’ll […]

Coworking spaces are a great way to get to know people and get work done, especially if you don’t have a home office and need a place where you can focus and immerse yourself in your project. I’ve already written about the elements that make up the ideal coworking space, so armed with that knowledge, […]