Top 5 Reasons Why Barcelona is a Great Place to Study Abroad

Sponsored by EU Business School

Barcelona is a diverse and cosmopolitan city full of exciting prospects and opportunities. Having shot up to 31^st place in this year’s QS Best Student Cities 2023, it’s not hard to see why it’s one of the best destinations for studying abroad.

Once you move to Barcelona, you may never want to leave, thanks to its 68 parks, 55 museums, 22 Michelin-starred restaurants, nine UNESCO-protected monuments, almost 5km of sandy golden beaches and an array of architectural gems. It’s also home to a fanatic cluster of innovative tech talent and innovative startups, making it a magnet for businesses and business schools alike.

Barcelona is easy on the student pocket

Let’s face it – as a student, money is never far from your mind and when you’re contemplating the idea of moving abroad, the cost of living is one of the most important things you should take into account.

Although the cost of living in Barcelona tends to be more expensive than other Spanish cities (with the exception of Madrid), it’s still 44 percent cheaper than New York, and 41 percent cheaper than London, so living on the cheap side here is most definitely possible.

How much you pay for your accommodation essentially comes down to how much you’re willing (or able) to spend and whether you can compromise on factors such as location. Students at EU Business School’s Barcelona campus can rent a shared flat for a cost between €300-500 per month, while a private apartment can start from €650 per month.

If you live in a fairly central neighborhood, you should be able to get about on foot just fine. However, should you find yourself wanting to hop on the metro or bus, you can purchase a T-10 ticket for only €10.20 which gets you 10 journeys.

Barcelona is considered the Spanish Silicon Valley

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Although Barcelona is a small(ish) city, it has big ambitions and is making a name for itself in the world of entrepreneurs. This year alone, more than 1,300 startups have already been created here, so it should come as no surprise that the latest MWCapital Report ranked Barcelona as the sixth top startup hub in Europe.

22@Barcelona is an urban renewal area, now the face of Barcelona’s technological and innovation district. The city is also home to some of the world’s largest multinational companies, including Amazon, Facebook and the Siemens Innovation Center.

Echoing Barcelona’s agenda for innovation and entrepreneurship, many business schools have also looked to the city to set up base – with EU Business School being one of them. It shouldn’t be too much of a challenge to pursue your dream job after graduating either, considering the hustling and bustling city was ranked 27^th in the world for employer activity in the QS Best Student Cities 2019.

Everyone is welcome in Barcelona

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Despite 8.9 million people having visited Barcelona in 2017, and with that number set to rise year-on-year, there’s still a very relaxed and laidback feel to the city.

Barcelona is one big international community and offers warm welcomes to everyone from students to expats, who are all looking to call this place ‘home’.

One in five people who live here are from a different country, meaning over 179 nationalities are represented in this multicultural city! English is also widely spoken in Barcelona, so there’s no doubt you’ll be able to make a friend or two here.

Hola! ¿Cómo estás?

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We’ve established that English is widely spoken in Barcelona but, considering Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, and is one of the main languages of global business communications, you would do well to add it to the number of languages you can understand. 

But where do you start if the most you can offer is; “Hola! ¿Cómo estás?” (Hello, how are you?)?! First of all, you should do some research and see whether the university or business school you’re going to offers language lessons.

At EU Business School, for example, their Language School offers a range of language courses, including Intensive Spanish and Business Spanish. If you’re studying at EU Business School, you can also enjoy General Spanish (or French or German) classes.

When it comes to everyday language learning, simple things such as listening to the local radio station instead of your everyday music playlist, watching local television instead of Netflix, reading magazines and books in Spanish, as well as setting your phone and/or tablet to Spanish are all great ways to keep up the practice.

Barcelona offers a quality of life like no other

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Just thinking about the city’s growing gourmet food scene is enough to get your stomach rumbling! From fresh fish straight from the Mediterranean Sea, to the delicious aroma of paella and tapas, you’re never far from a legendary meal.

For those who want to get a real taste of Barcelona, head to La Boqueria, one of Europe’s largest and most famous food markets. 

When it comes to exploring the city’s distinctive architectural gems, you might be asking yourself where to even start. It’s not always a bad thing following the crowd as you make your way to the Sagrada Familia, or make an active effort to spot all of Gaudí’s urban projects that line the city’s streets.

Barcelona is the only city in the world to have been awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and it’s easy to see why, especially when you pay a visit to Park Güell, which offers some of the best views of the city.

It would, of course, be rude to not mention that Barcelona is home to some of the most passionate and devoted football fans in the world. Football is big business in Barcelona, so you might want to consider getting involved with the celebrations as Barcelona FC, or Barça, as the club is also known, continues to dominate the world of football.

Lead image credit: EU Business School