The map of the coffee with milk in Barcelona: where is it more expensive?

BarcelonaHow much does a 'tallat' (espresso with a dash of milk) cost in Barcelona? It depends on the neighborhood. A coffee that is part of the routine of thousands of people can also serve to observe the economic differences of a city. With this idea, the Barcelona-based studio Domestic Data Streamers and the research center Cedra have promoted The 'tallat' census, a research and data project, but also an interactive experience to explore what the price of a coffee says about the place where it is consumed.

The initiative starts from a simple question: how much does a 'tallat' with cow's milk cost? Between September 10 and 23, 2026, those responsible for the project contacted 2,411 bars, bakeries, cafes, and restaurants in the city by phone. They obtained 836 prices, with a median of 1.70 euros. The data collection covered all 73 neighborhoods of Barcelona, but the comparative analysis focuses on the 43 that have at least eight valid prices.

Prices also vary depending on the neighborhood. La Barceloneta has the highest median (2.20 euros), while La Verneda i la Pau and La Marina de Port share the lowest (1.50 euros). The difference between the two extremes is 70 cents. In the case of La Barceloneta, however, the result is based on only eight collected prices.

The project, in any case, is not limited to publishing a price table. The website invites users to participate in an interactive experience in a game format: they have to guess how much a 'tallat' costs, compare their estimate with the collected prices, and consult the map of Barcelona. They can also select a neighborhood and see how the price of coffee relates to other variables, such as the income of residents or the presence of tourist accommodations.

Sarrià and the Gothic: two different realities

One of the comparisons presented by the study is that of Sarrià and the Gothic Quarter. In Sarrià, the annual income per person is 41,475 euros and the median price of a 'tallat' (espresso with a dash of milk) is 1.80 euros. In the Gothic Quarter, on the other hand, the income is 22,248 euros and the median price for a coffee rises to 1.90 euros. The difference is also reflected in the presence of tourist accommodations: the Gothic Quarter has 32 Airbnb listings for every 1,000 residents, compared to three in Sarrià.

Across all the neighborhoods analyzed, those responsible for the study observe a closer association between tourist presence and the price of coffee than between this price and the income of the residents. The comparison, in any case, does not prove that tourism is the direct cause of higher prices. Thus, the results allow for identifying patterns and raising questions about the local economy, but they do not, by themselves, establish a causal relationship.

A photograph that one wants to repeat

The authors, furthermore, propose repeating the price collection in September 2027 at the same establishments to observe how prices evolve over time. In this way, the intention is that the project is not just a snapshot of Barcelona, but also a tool to study changes in the cost of living and the differences between neighborhoods in the Catalan capital.

In any case, the research has limitations: it does not include establishments without a published phone number, prices were communicated by phone and were not verified with purchase receipts, and some comparisons are based on small samples. Even so, The tallat census proposes an original way to approach urban inequalities: using an expense as common as a coffee to look at the city with different eyes.