Budget for food for teens in Barcelona

Hard to say what they are interested in eating. I usually budget about 100 euro a day for my wife and I, and that seems to work pretty well for Spain. That includes coffee and a light breakfast in the morning, a bigger meal mid-afternoon, and tapas at night. Barcelona might be a bit more if they are interested in full meals a couple times a day. If they stick to beer and wine, that's cheap; go to clubs and have cocktails, that'll blow the budget quick.

Depends on eating habits. They will not be old enough to take advantage of the tapas and bar scene. After that who knows? I would plan on at least 50E per day. And maybe a bit more. A hundred euro a day would provide a good cushion.

In general, Barcelona has gotten very expensive compared to the rest of Spain. The Gràcia neighborhood where your daughter is staying is very good and safe. There you can find many pizzerias and bakeries run by Italian immigrants, that can provide a quick bite to eat that is not too pricey.

There are typically 4 kinds of restaurants (not including fast food) in Spain:

Bar-Restaurante (€14-16) - these low-key establishments are frequented most by locals during the weekdays. They usually serve a 'Menú del día', an excellent seasonal three course lunch. Here one usually sits one's self on the outside sitting unless there is a reserved placard on the table. The waiter then comes over to see what you want if just drinks or food as well. The waiters will check in on you from time to time, but can be considered slow compared to American standards. These are usually only for lunch.

Restaurantes (€22-28) - more upscale affairs with table cloths, wine menus etc.. Here there is typically someone you talk to first to get seated (like a host in the USA), they usually will be standing near the entrance. This is most similar to the US in terms of service. These are usually for dinner, starting after 9:00 pm.

Tapas bars (€18-22 per person) - these places are usually located in the more touristy centres of cities and will have long bar tables with different tapas on top, here you usually make your way to the bar first and talk to the bar tender directly to get service or if you want a check, waiters will not come to you here, you have to be more proactive. Don't expect Tapas to be cheap eats, they can get quite expensive as you add them up.

Gastronomic food markets (€14-16) - these are where local restaurants have food stalls located in the main market, that sell street food to eat on site. These newer types of food markets have become quite popular in Spain in recent years, especially for those looking for a quick drink and a bite to eat. You just order what you want at the counter then sit down at any empty table then pick up the food order when its ready and eat at your table.

We eat dinner after 9:00 pm in Spain, so probably your best bet to find something open earlier would be a Tapas Bar, you don't need a reservation for most tapas bars if you're eating at the bar, eating at a table will sometimes be more expensive and more difficult to secure seats. The better Tapas bars tend to be around El Born and El Poble sec neighborhoods, I can recommend Bar Celta Pulperia and Quimet & Quimet in those respective neighborhoods.

PS: Be careful to not wander into El Raval, it's a seedy neighborhood with narco-trafficking and prostitution and easy to get lost in at night. I only mention this because it's right next door to the Gothic Quarter and some unfamiliar tourists might not know it's a no go place at night.

First, if the Generator is refundable move to a hostel with a guest kitchen. Most hostels I have visited have a fixed price breakfast. I didn't see a clear advert and price for breakfast at the Generator. I don't have a recommendation for Barcelona. Check-out hostelworld.com. I do recommend an all female dorm.

So, with a big, fixed price breakfast (will be 15 Euros or less), lunch while out (again around 15 Euros if alternating between restaurant/fast/street/picnic food), dinner becomes the most expensive meal. At a hostel with a guest kitchen they can cook for themselves or connect with others to make a larger common meal. This can be fun and with good Spanish they should have no trouble making friends. The grocery chains all have plenty of prepared and semi-prepared foods. All-in, they could do one day out (go with 40 Euro) and half that for an eat-in day. This puts the budget at 60 per day on average.

Other tips...they are of legal drinking age. Read and follow all of the safety and pick-pocket tips on this site and in Rick's books. They should never go anywhere alone after dark...always together or with a larger group.

A phone is enough tech. It's worth the $10 per day (AT&T's price on my phone) to have an international calling plan. You can save a few dollars by doing less 5G and more WiFi, but piece of mind would be worth it to me. Add a tablet if used extensively at home and leave the laptop at home. Establish a time to FaceTime every day or two and consider a nightly (her time) text or phone check-in. This is, of course, more for you than her.

Lastly, yes, the Hola BCN! card is the way to go. I'm a fan of unlimited daily or weekly travel cards in any city I visit (just transit, not the ones that include museums, etc.). Download the app to store her ticket and to plan her travels.

They will not be old enough to take advantage of the tapas and bar scene.

What makes you say that? There's no age restrictions to be in a bar and enjoy tapas and if they want an alcoholic drink then the OP's daughter is 18.

I would vote against the Hola barcelona card--they are time limited cards so if one wanted 10 days worth of metro/tram/bus coverage each traveler would need to buy two 5-day cards which would be about 80 euro. Better bang for the buck would be the T-casual single zone card--10 trips on metro/bus/tram/funicular for around 12 euro, purchase/reload at metro stations. Can also be used on the local R2 Rodales TRAIN from Sants station to the Prat airport (terminal 2, there is a shuttle that runs between t-2 and t-1). It should be noted that the t-casual card cannot be used to take the metro to the airport. The savings by avoiding the Hola card could actually fund at least 2 days worth of meals.

As far as the tapas thing goes--can get relatively cheap tapas in the Santa Cruz neighborhood and share plates--they can order sodas or bottled water. They can also decrease their food budget by NOT planning to dine out every meal. Can get fresh bread (whole wheat with spelt was surprisingly great), cheese (manchego and others), smoked salmon, jamon at local grocery stores (or even the chains like DIA or Carrefours etc), beverages and salads for a lot less than in the bars/restaurants. Can also pick up yogurt, milk, and fruit at the store as well as breakfast pastries at the local bakeries for much less than what the hostel will be charging for breakfast. Can also get a cafe con leche which is tastier and far cheaper than starbucks lattes.

If the travelers go the "college student" dining route, they may find that their food budget will go further in Barcelona than in many places in the US. Of course, not too sure how successfully two recent HS grads will be in reining in their expenditures since they probably have not spent a significant amount of time being budget conscious.

Since our cell provider offered a pretty pricey international plan, we opted to get esims from AirAlo-for 30 days of coverage and 3-5 GB data costs between $13-20 for the EU region, $24-35 for global coverage, and $8.50-11.50 for Spain only. That does not include voice calls--no problem since Whats App is widely used and can be used to call between the US and Europe without cost (except for cell data if one isn't connected to WiFi). Strongly suggest signing up for a trial of some decent VPN like express VPN to minimize information skimming while on public wifi. Just be sure to cancel the service before the grace period ends or one will end up paying for the entire year. The two travelers can share the account.

Last little rant--impress upon the girls that not all folks in the crowd are out to get them, but there are many out there that will take advantage of little lapses in attention and will skillfully/stealthfully/quickly remove items from your bag, backpack, pants, jacket, etc--especially in crowded areas like Passeig de Gracia, Central markets, subway/metros/buses and stations, outside Sagrada Familia, etc. Also not all areas are safe at night, so travel in pairs and always be aware of your surroundings (don’t walk around crowded areas with earbuds in place listening to music/podcasts/or having phone conversations). Be especially wary of people acting hyperbolically--they most likely are serving to distract whilst their partners are harvesting wallets and pocketbooks.

Thank you all for the advice so far! We were able to get her a ticket with Delta miles-so this thing might actually happen :).

Two outgoing 18-y-o girls should never have to pay for their own drinks or tapas, at least anywhere within walking distance of the Universitat T station.

Por ejemplo, a Barcelona take on Colombian snacks:
https://juantropi.wordpress.com

Good grief Avi. Let’s hope it’s the opposite, that these are strong ladies who can take care of themselves and they never let anyone else handle their drinks or near their drinks no matter what city. If someone treats them to a tapas plate, they should then take a turn treating the person back. It’s 2024 not 1965.

Well, I think it is great that the new graduates will have an adventure.
Part of being a poor student while traveling is to try to stretch every dollar!

Wow--100 Euros a day for food is much too much if you want to keep to a budget. That is a full-blown mature tourist expenditure.
I can remember often buying a loaf of bread and some cheese and having a bargain lunch.
Chocolate (or coffee) and churros is a nice and economical way to start the morning.
Remember, the Spanish eat a big afternoon meal so they do not need a big breakfast. Often there might be some specials that are at a lower price (menú del día).

Yes, young people can go into bars and order vino--the Spanish are not as restrictive as the US for drinking.

I used to eat some great tapas to fill my stomach--I love tortilla de patatas!

There used to be a lot of great travel guidebooks for students like "Let's Go", but you could also try something like "Lonely Planet."
Usually pickpockets are more interested in wealthy distracted tourists rather than poor students, but she should still be alert.

They may even take a few train trips to see some other parts of the country, so I am not sure if they should stay ten days in Barcelona and prebook the hostel for all that time. When you are young, you can be flexible!

I hope she has a fantastic time!

Wow--100 Euros a day for food is much too much if you want to keep to a budget. That is a full-blown mature tourist expenditure.

The 100 euro I mentioned is for two, not a person. It is a comfortable number, gets you one decent meal a day in a sit-down restaurant, a light breakfast, and a lighter evening meal or tapas, plus some drinks. There is a slight cost advantage eating as two compared to one.

You could do it cheaper, but I think cooking meals in a hostel is kind of a shame when there are so many great food options in Spain, and even paying for a hotel or hostel breakfast is a bit boring, go out and enjoy a good coffee, a tostada, or a pastry.

As for safety, they really need to keep their wits about them, keep phones secure, cash and card secure. Leave the big purse and bags at home, get a good crossbody small purse or bag. Staying in a hostel, there is a good chance they can go out in a group, people can watch out for others. A good honest conversation about responsible drinking and keeping yourself out of bad situations is prudent, too many horror stories start out with over-drinking, late nights, and getting separated from friends.

Good grief Avi. Let’s hope it’s the opposite, that these are strong ladies who can take care of themselves and they never let anyone else handle their drinks or near their drinks no matter what city. If someone treats them to a tapas plate, they should then take a turn treating the person back. It’s 2024 not 1965.

Well said Bets. I cringed when I read Avirosemail's post. What message is that to send out to young women, that because you're young and female you can expect free drinks and food and no doubt for something in return! And as a recently retired police officer I can attest to the real risk of drink spiking, my advice to young women is to buy your own drinks or only bought by someone you know and never leave sight of them.

You all are amazing! I knew you’d have a lot of info for me to share with her.

To clarify, the friend she’s traveling with is male-they’ve been great buddies since kindergarten when they started their dual immersion school. They can be frenemies sometimes so we will see how they get along-but are both pretty confident. They have traveled internationally but never without a parent.

And yeah, I don’t want my daughter getting free drinks from anyone. She’s not much of a drinker-we were in Mexico right after she turned 18 and she ordered drinks at most dinners but really didn’t love most of them. We’ve been talking about safety-I think she’ll get a spibelt like runners wear under clothes for her phone and money.

Thanks for tips and keep them coming!

I can attest to the real risk of drink spiking

Unfortunately that's a issue in Spain, especially in Barcelona in the mega night clubs frequented by foreigners, like Opium.

Sorry for my brevity but I'm on the move...

1. Long story short: at lunchtime use the "menu del dia" offer available in almost all restaurants (12-15€); dinner in most restaurants at around ~25€ p.p.; take-aways for under 20€ (takeaway I mean eating proper food, not the cra$#p sold at McDonalds and the like)

2. Transportation: they'll use it less than you'd originally might expect, and the city is very walkable. I'd suggest getting a T-Mobilitat card (it's sort of an e-wallet) for each one and having it topped with a T-Casual (10 journeys). More info: https://www.tmb.cat/en/fares-metro-bus-barcelona/t-mobilitat/how-it-works Since they can't register for the permanent e-wallet (plastic) as they're not residents, tell them to either download the app on the phone or, even far easier and more anonymous, purchase the T-Mobilitat in cardboard support at the ATMs in the metro.

3. For a handful of museums, check if they have a 'free day'; some offer one special day every month, and others are from a certain hour onwards on Sundays. But don't expect the major sites to provide this (ie SagFamilia, Casa Batlló, etc).

4. Look for Sant Joan celebrations across the city on the eve of the 23rd https://www.barcelona.cat/culturapopular/en/festivals-and-traditions/nit-de-sant-joan and specific programs in the different districts https://beteve.cat/agenda/sant-joan-barcelona/

5. https://www.theintrepidguide.com/useful-catalan-phrases-for-travellers/

Enjoy!

A Barcelonan living in Barcelona ;)

Thanks for those links, Enric!
I miss seeing your posts :-)

Regarding spiking drinks, I think a new law is coming into effect here in CA that bars have to have a handy chemical test strip available, like napkins and stirrers, so customers can check their drinks for nefariousnesses.

How sweet, thank you @avirosemail!

For extra info...

Spiking drinks

While the issue is not new and is unfortunately slowly increasing, it is far from being "a threat" that would make one reconsider going to a nightclub. Every year, literally millions of patrons visit clubs, and the prevalence of this type of crime is still statistically negligible. This, of course, does not mean that it shouldn't be taken seriously. Both the Catalan government, the city council, and the employers' associations are implementing measures to eradicate this crime, like the introduction of the Nightlife protocol, mandatory for all nightlife establishments.

In 2022, one of the night clubs employers' association -the one comprising the biggest clubs in Barcelona: Sutton, Gatsby, Opium, Shôko, Sala Apolo, Input High Fidelity Dance Club, Carpe Diem Lounge Club, Pacha Barcelona and Bling Bling Bcn- introduced the practice to serve drinks with a cover, much like in a fast food establishment, to reduce the risk of having it spiked while in the club. I believe this is the way they continue to be served this day, but I can't attest sorry, I don't go clubbing anymore these days.

Additionally, the vast majority joined the European campaign "Ask for Angela" (https://askforangela.co.uk/), a scheme used by bars and other venues to keep people safe when they are in danger or an uncomfortable situation and training classes have been introduced for their staff to learn to recognize suspicious situations. People who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened can discreetly seek help by approaching venue staff and asking them for ‘Angela’. This code phrase will indicate to staff that they require help with their situation and a trained member of staff will then look to support and assist them. I am not aware if the "Ask for Angela" scheme is used in the US, but it wouldn't be a bad idea if all club-goers from the US knew about it when coming to Europe.

Updates! Our daughter is booked at soulbackpacker hostel as it had female only dorm availability-and kitchen facilities and curtains on the bunk which were important to her. Her buddy arrived yesterday-staying at the Generator and had to wait three hours after check in time for his bunk to be ready.