I’ve been living in Barcelona for over a year now and let me tell you, it is one of the nicest places I have lived in. Of course, this is a very short amount of time to truly call Barcelona “the happiest city in Europe,” but I’m not the only one who feels very happy living in this city, as on a regular basis I hear people verbally express how much they love Barcelona.
“I love Barcelona” – many many people
This is perhaps why, as a happiness writer, I decided to get to the bottom to claims that claim that states that Barcelona is the happiest city in Europe, as on one side, I certainly haven’t been everywhere, so I’m still open minded to find an even happier city in Europe, while on the other hand, I admit that this may be a hard task indeed to find somewhere even nicer, as evidence towards Barcelona being the happiest city in Europe are quite substantial.
So the question becomes what makes Barcelona so special?
Good Weather in Barcelona
The first time I came to Barcelona was during the winter season and I already fell in love with the city, despite its relatively cold weather, making me wonder how much better it would be during the summer, which proved to be an even better time of the year, as I had a blast.
On the other hand, even during the winter season, when it is already snowing in some parts of Europe, Barcelona remains rather warm all things considered. In fact, on a windless and cloudless day, I was able to tan on the rooftop of my house, walking around in a t-shirt and shorts, although at night, I did need to put on a light sweater.
Naturally, I can already hear jealousy cries from many of my friends from other parts of Europe, especially when they see me tanning on my social media stories. However, studies suggest that surprisingly bad weather doesn’t affect our sense of happiness and well-being, suggesting that on average people should feel equally as good living in countries with cold weather, rain, or snow as if they were in warmer climates, such as that of Barcelona.
And while these studies may sound a bit far-fetched in terms of our belief in their accuracy, they are still accurate to a degree that they compare people who live long-term in the same place, implying that eventually people get used to their climate.
Working / Studying In Barcelona
Building on the previous point, warm weather climates present both an advantage and disadvantage, as on one hand during some especially warm days, people simply can’t go out because it is too hot and dangerous because of UV waves.
However, when it gets nice and warm, sometimes the last thing people want to do is to sit at home or an office, as it is rather tortuous to see other people enjoying their lives while we have to be working or studying.
Moreover, I remember trying to work or study during a summer, which was a horrible experience, as the heat would make my brain slow and sluggish, making it difficult to stay focused on what I had to do.
On a side note, this is perhaps why countries with warmer weather also tend to have less progressive economies, as people are more interested in enjoying life. In colder countries, there are fewer temptations, and people are happier to work, contributing to better economic performance. Nordic countries are usually said to have better economies as they can spend more money to “buy happiness,” while southern countries are happier by default because of the better climate.
Here, I’m reminded of a very important happiness question, such as “do you live to work, or work to live?,” as in Barcelona it clearly seems that people are interested in having a great life first, because life now is indeed good, so might as well enjoy it.
In this way, they aren’t interested in working too hard sacrificing short and long-term financial well-being, for short-term happiness. Instead, they realize that future happiness isn’t guaranteed and there is no money-back guarantee on future happiness, and therefore they rather invest into making sure that they are sufficiently happy and well off today and tomorrow, and hopefully the day after will be good, too.
And Then There Is a Beach
The next best thing about Barcelona is its beach, which some people say isn’t the most amazing beach in the world, but THERE IS A BEACH IN BARCELONA! I mean, sure, you can travel for 1-2h and find an even better beach near Barcelona, such as Costa Brava, but again, you can travel 10-30 minutes inside Barcelona (depending on where you are in Barcelona), and have a quite reasonable beach right there and then.
Here, I want to state that there are almost no waves in Barcelona beach, so the sea is almost always calm, which doesn’t allow for surfing or any similar activities, giving way to other industries, such as paddle and sailing.
However, the beach inside the city makes people behave more sporty, adventurous, and motivated to stay healthy and in shape, to show off one’s body for when the good weather comes, which is arguably half of the year long.
It’s a Beautiful City, Great For Tourism
Let’s also not forget about the natural beauty of Barcelona, as it is one of the biggest attractions in Europe, to an extent that hoard of tourists are attracted to this city, especially during summer season, to an extent that local populous start screaming “tourists go home!” spraying people sitting in cafes with water guns.
On a side note, this “tourists go home!” got more publicity than it deserves, as protests of all sorts and sizes happen all over the world, so while people may complain about excessive tourism in Barcelona, and how it affects local people, we need to remember that Barcelona is part of Europe, there is a free movement of people, there is globalization, overpopulation, segregation, and many similar terms, so whether people want it or not, tourists are here to stay and it is a bit too late to just say “tourists go home” as it is rather impractical solution to the world we find ourselves in.
Still, the city is wonderful and beautiful, with plenty of things to do inside and around the city. There is easy access to boats, buses, and the airport, which can take you to all sorts of places in Spain and Europe. For example, Ibiza is located next to Barcelona.
It’s Easy To Stay Busy
I often joke that it is easy to get FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) in Barcelona, because of many activities that are happening on daily basis, such as sports, bars, restaurants, clubs, parties, festivals, cultural events, museums, meetups, private get togethers, cinemas, and virtually anything else for that matter.
It gets so busy sometimes that people are progressively embracing JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out), as I regularly happily say “no” to events that in other situations and places in the world I would love to attend. Furthermore, sometimes a “good life” is just too good and the body just gives up, so I am now forced to schedule relaxation time.
Wonderful Culture
Spanish is a “hot culture” to a degree that people are positive, welcoming, and overall relaxed, which is significant compared to many other colder climates where people are anti-social, cold, and even hostile. Additionally, there are many other Spanish (and Latin) cultural advantages, such as tapas, sangria, greeting others with two kisses on the cheeks, engaging in hot dances like Bachata and Salsa, which are available on a daily basis. There are a host of events, festivals, meetups, and otherwise friendly and open-minded people.
Additionally, Spanish language is one of the top languages people say they want to learn in the world, which makes sense because it offers one of the most attractive pronunciations, competing with French, Italian, and few others.
Cost of Living
On this point, some local people think that I’m overpaying for my accommodation. However, for me my accommodation is still on the cheaper end compared to some other houses I lived in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, and many other places.
This is to say that while this place is still not the cheapest place in the world, it is on a lower end in Europe, in many ways suggesting how much we are overpaying everywhere.
Barcelona is a Young City
I once read that there are more dogs than children in Barcelona. And everyone seems to agree that this must be the case, as somehow all families with children just leave Barcelona, while the younger people move in, creating a dynamic and festive environment.
In turn, this translates into one of the best bar experiences in Europe, as many of the world’s best cocktail bars are located in Barcelona, festivals, parties, and otherwise get-togethers.
There is also a very big skateboard culture in the city, attracting even people from all over the world, who come to Barcelona just so they can skate with others.
In fact, it’s much easier to book a hostel bed in Barcelona than an Airbnb / hotel, as the first ones are abundant, and second ones are more rare and expensive.
Certainly, we can claim that Barcelona isn’t for everyone, but on the other hand this is exactly why this city is so nice and welcoming.
Gracia Is the Happiest Neighborhood in Europe
“The only time I leave Gracia is to go to the airport,” said one of the local people who lives in Gracia.
Reading further on this point, I realized that the reason why people consider Gracia the “happiest” neighborhood in Barcelona is because they have everything right there. They have the most supermarkets, hairdressers, restaurants, schools, and virtually everything else per square meter compared to anywhere else in Spain or Europe.
And while I don’t go often to Gracia (I’m already busy enough in my own neighborhood), whenever I had a chance to go there to visit friends, local festivals (e.g., Fiesta Mayor de Gràcia), or visit local attractions (e.g., Park Güell), this place left me warm in heart, leaving me wanting to come back and explore some more.
How Barcelona Compares to Other Cities
A different reason why Barcelona is the happiest city in Europe is simply because I never hear “I love Barcelona” as many times as for example I’ve heard “I love Paris” or any other city in Europe. Certainly, there are other warm and welcoming counties and cities with beaches, natural beauty, great day and night life, etc. However, Barcelona just brings everything together very nicely.
As such, when I compare Valencia (located next door to Barcelona, also on the coastline of Spain) to Barcelona, I realize that Barcelona is just bigger and therefore there are more things to do. In contrast, Madrid does not have a beach, and similar arguments are also true for other places all over Europe.
Problem with Barcelona
Besides people not wanting to work in Barcelona, preferring to have a good life instead, resulting in lower GDP, another ongoing problem in Barcelona is theft, which is still rather prevalent, especially in touristic parts of town. This, however, doesn’t translate into any sort of physical violence, like fighting, which just never seems to happen in Barcelona – presumably because everyone is having such a good time and no one wants to ruin this experience.
Luckily, many people (including myself) have never been a victim of this, hearing such cases from other people, suggesting that if we pay attention, we will be alright. Furthermore, police seem to be doing their job in force, suggesting that it is a matter of time until this is resolved, as this too used to be a problem in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but eventually it got resolved.
Sure, there are more things to mention about life in Barcelona, such as the presence of dealers who can regularly be seen in tourist centers, as well as complaints from the local population about the influx of tourists. Additionally, some women don’t feel safe in certain parts of Barcelona, especially at certain hours, but similar concerns have been raised in Tokyo, Japan, known as one of the safest places in the world.
I don’t mean to say that these problems are not real or try to diminish their relevance, but I’d also say that compared to many other places in Europe or the world overall, Barcelona is still much nicer and safer than many places. I mean sure, something annoying can happen, but if we abide by the most simple safety rules, such as don’t leave our stuff unattended, you will be fine.
Is Barcelona Really the Happiest City in Europe?
In this way, I always say that there is a certain vibration to Barcelona. Once you step in, you experience it, and it almost physically forces you to say, “I love Barcelona.”
Of course, on a world level, it would be hard to compare Barcelona to some wonderful postcard paradises, which also put together different elements of “good life,” plus I haven’t seen enough of the world to say which place is actually the happiest.
Furthermore, according to the World Happiness Report (WHR) in 2024, Spain is ranked 36th, with many countries in the northern and western parts of Europe ranking higher on the scale. However, Barcelona is located in Catalonia, which is considered a wealthier region in Spain, often advocating for its independence, which the Spanish government naturally opposes.
Still, WHR is notorious for focusing on financial well-being, which again isn’t that great in Spain, as people prefer to work to live instead of live to work. However, if ever we were to measure happiness by other metrics, such as how much people smile in Barcelona compared to other cities in Europe, Barcelona (and Spain) are likely to have a much higher ranking.
Lastly, if you are to ask me what are my current favorite places in Europe, I’d say:
#1 – Barcelona
#2 – Amsterdam
Again, I haven’t been everywhere, so I rely on you my readers to tell me if you would have a different ranking and if you actually agree with everything above, or if you would have something to say about Barcelona and its status as the happiest city in Europe.
Barcelona Going Forward
Overall, I say with pride that “I love Barcelona,” and while I don’t know if I will always love it, I’m confident that at least for the foreseeable future I will stay here.
Furthermore, perhaps I sold Barcelona way too well, so my last warning is for you to stay away from this place, as there are already too many tourists and we don’t need one more person moving in here, as otherwise it will just get too packed. So stay away and “tourists go home,” jaja (Spanish for “haha”).
Still, even if you don’t live in Barcelona and you are looking for more ways to enjoy life, you are in the right place, as this blog is all about happiness, well-being, and how to have a good life, regardless of who you are, where you are from, and what your life circumstance are. In practice this translates into me being able to teach you to become one of the happiest people in the world even if you will never visit Barcelona or leave the comfort of your house, for that matter.
So if you are interested in learning more about happiness and how to cultivate more of it in your life, you are in the right place. Continue reading the blog and explore some of our other offers.
Stay happy wherever you are!
