🇪🇸
Barcelona
Spain
Architecture, beaches and an international vibe.
🇩🇪
Berlin
Germany
Counter-culture capital with legendary nightlife and history.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇪🇸 Barcelona
€1,100–1,500 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇩🇪 Berlin
€1,050–1,350 / month
Best for
🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Students looking for an international and multicultural city
- Those who want to travel frequently around Europe
- People interested in highly prestigious universities
Best for
🇩🇪 Berlin
- Students looking for a creative, alternative city
- Those who want legendary nightlife
- People interested in modern history
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇩🇪 Berlin
Expensive
Cost of Living
Moderate
Very High
Nightlife
Very High
Very Good
Weather
Fair
Excellent
Travel Opportunities
Excellent
Very Active
Student Life
Outstanding
Very Tight
Housing
Tight
Top-Tier
University Reputation
Top-Tier
Student insights
🇪🇸 Barcelona
- Excellent nightlife
- Top-tier international connections
- Highly recognised universities
Student insights
🇩🇪 Berlin
- World-famous nightlife and music scene
- Very international and multicultural
- Strong universities and English-taught programmes
Student voice — 🇪🇸 Barcelona
“Barcelona was the greatest experience of my life.”
Student voice — 🇩🇪 Berlin
“There's no city like Berlin for nightlife.”
🇪🇸 Barcelona
Pros
- Excellent nightlife
- Top-tier international connections
- Highly recognised universities
- Large international community
- Unique combination of beach, culture and urban life
Cons
- Extremely expensive accommodation
- High cost of living
- Mass tourism in some areas
- Strong competition for rooms and residences
- Less sense of student community than in smaller cities
🇩🇪 Berlin
Pros
- World-famous nightlife and music scene
- Very international and multicultural
- Strong universities and English-taught programmes
- Rich modern history and cultural offer
- Excellent rail and flight connections
Cons
- Housing market is increasingly difficult
- Long, grey winters
- Big-city logistics — long commutes possible
- Cost of living has risen sharply
- Iconic image creates high expectations
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.