Barcelona's Tourist Tax: What you need to know Before Your Trip

When we were planning the budget for our upcoming 3 months in Europe (with 1 month in Barcelona) Spain, we had definitely NOT taken into account the new Tourist Tax that tourists now need to pay when visiting Barcelona. This is an additional expense that we didn't add into our monthly budget that is going to cost us an additional 100 euros to our monthly accommodation budget and potentially YOU TOO!

If you're thinking about travelling to Barcelona soon, check out our Ultimate Barcelona Guide here and here's what you need to know about the Tourist Tax there. And to be honest, there's a lot of mixed information out there.

If you’re planning the budget for an upcoming trip to Barcelona, or a holiday to Barcelona, then make sure to account for the tourist tax as well as there's no getting around this tax. As part of our big Spanish and Europe adventure, we're planning on staying 1 month in the city of Barcelona and as such had to pay the Barcelona Tourist Tax - or the Impuesto sobre estancias en establecimientos turísticos as it's called for Barcelona. But this tax is Not just Barcelona, this affects other tourist destinations in Spain too. And it's an additional expense that should be included in your overall costs, but it’s a good idea to research it first to understand how it might affect your travel budget. The list it affects is changing all the time, as is the amount you will need to pay. In true Spain style there's no one consensus place to find out exactly how much you'll be required to pay and we were told by the apartment owner that we need to pay on checking in. And rather than just blindly handing over the money, I took it upon myself to research and find out if we were being ripped off - or if what they were asking for was the correct amount.

In this short post we’ll explain everything you need to know about the Tourist Tax in Barcelona, including how it works, how much it costs, who needs to pay it and how you pay it, centred around our experience of planning a 1-month stay in Barcelona and discovering the extra cost:

💶 The Tourist Tax in Barcelona: Everything You Need to Know

Planning a trip to Barcelona? So were we — a full-time travelling family preparing for a one-month stay in Barcelona, only to discover an extra cost we hadn’t factored into our budget: Barcelona’s Tourist Tax.

If you're visiting Catalonia (Barcelona), you will be required to pay a local tourism tax — often added to your accommodation bill. Here’s what you need to know so it doesn’t catch you by surprise like it did us. But it's not always added to your bill you need to check the fine print of your booking.

🏨 What Is the Spanish Tourist Tax?

The Spanish Tourist Tax is a daily fee charged per person, per night by local governments in certain regions to help maintain tourist infrastructure and promote sustainable tourism.

You’ll often see it referred to as:

• Impuesto sobre estancias en establecimientos turísticos (in Catalonia)

• Ecotasa (in the Balearic Islands)

• Or simply: Tourist Tax / City Tax

📍 Where Is It Charged?

Not all regions in Spain charge this tax, but many major tourist areas do, including:

• Catalonia (Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, etc.)

• Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera)

• Valencia (Valencia City, Alicante, etc. - starting in 2024/25)

Madrid and much of inland Spain do not currently charge a tourist tax.

💰 How Much Is the Tourist Tax in Barcelona?

This was the surprise for us! Here's what to expect per person, per night, depending on your accommodation type:

Accommodation Type	Rate (per night)
Luxury Hotel (5-star)	€3.50 + €1.75 city surcharge = €5.25
Mid-range Hotel (4-star)	€1.70 + €1.75 = €3.45
Budget Hotels / Apartments	€1.10 + €1.75 = €2.85
Hostels, Guesthouses, Campgrounds	~€0.65 - €1.00
Housing for tourist use: €8.50	€8.50

Barcelona charges visitors between €6 and €11 a night depending on the type of accommodation they are staying in. These fees rose from May 1 2025. And the prices are due to go up steadily over the next few years as the city authority raises its fee. As of 1 May 2025, those in hotels and apartments up to four stars in Barcelona pay €7.40. This goes up to €11 for those in five star hotels. Housing for tourist use, such as Airbnb are charged €8.50 a night with other, lower-ranked establishments costing €6 a night.

And as mentioned this isn't a simple flat rate tax for Barcelona.

Barcelona rates from May 1 2025:

Barcelona
Hostels / camping / low level hotels	€6	€6
Cruise passengers 12hrs+	€8	€8
Cruise passengers under 12 hrs	€10	€10
Housing for tourist use	€8.50	€8.50
Hotels up to 4-star	€7.40	€7.40
Hotels up to 5-star	€11	€11
Catalonia (excl. Barcelona)
Hostels / camping / low level hotels	€1.20	€1.20
Cruise passengers 12hrs+	€4	€4
Cruise passengers under 12 hrs	€6	€6
Housing for tourist use	€2	€2
Hotels up to 4-star	€2.40	€2.40
Hotels up to 5-star	€6	€6

The above is purely for Barcelona. Outside of Barcelona, the rest of Catalonia charges tourist tax. Because this is only collected by the regional authority, this is cheaper than Barcelona but can still add up for a family staying for a week.

To answer the Question: How much is the tourist tax in Spain? See our Spain Guide here

Note:

• Charged up to 7 nights max per person per stay.

• Children under 16 are typically exempt.

💡 Our Experience:

We booked a long-term apartment rental - 1 month in an apartment in Barcelona via Booking.com thinking we’d nailed the budget. Well not nailed it to be exact - because quite honestly this whole trip is turning into a big over spend of a miffer. After living in South east Asia for almost 1 year, we realise just how expensive Europe is and honestly if we had to do this whole full time travel life in Europe. Forget it. So the costs are mounting and we need to earn more money this month to cover things or dip into savings (something we really try to avoid doing). But on check-in, we were asked to pay €6.88 per adult, per night. Total €96.32 because stays are capped at 7 nights charge. But this 96 euro charge was something we definitely hadn't accounted for and it's a significant expense on top of the monthly rent we'd payed of €1700 (for a 2 bedroom flat). The kids were exempt from this as it's just adults.

This charge can be paid by cash to the owner - but this all felt a bit scammy to me so I wanted to be sure we were firstly paying the correct amount. And secondly that once paid to the owner - we wouldn't then be asked somewhere down the line to pay again. And then we want to share this information for all our fellow visitors so you don't get over charged and know what to expect.

 Definitely something to budget for if you're staying longer than just a few nights!

🧾 How Is the Tax Paid?

• Usually collected by your accommodation on arrival or check-in.

• Sometimes added to your final bill or paid in cash.

• Must be listed separately from the nightly rate on receipts.

  (so check this with your booking information)

  
  

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Who Has to Pay It?

• Everyone aged 16 and up.

• Children under 16 are generally exempt.

• Applies to both tourists and locals staying in tourist accommodations.

📅 Is It Charged Monthly or Only on First 7 Nights?

• The tax applies to up to 7 nights per stay, even if you're staying longer.

• So for a 1-month stay like ours, you’ll only pay for 7 nights per person.

Example: 2 adults staying 30 nights = 2 x 7 nights = 14 taxed nights total (kids under 16 are exempt although technically the 16 year old probably should be charged - but she'll be in UK for most of this time so if the landlord then asks for more money I'll let them know that).

✈️ Why Is There a Tourist Tax?

These funds are used for:

• Tourism sustainability projects

• Infrastructure maintenance

• Environmental protection (especially on islands)

• Managing over-tourism in cities like Barcelona

It’s not a scam or hidden fee — just an important budget line to include!

✅ Tips for Budgeting Around the Tourist Tax

• Check if your destination charges it before booking.

• Ask if it's included in your rate when booking accommodation.

• Consider shorter stays in cities with high rates to save money.

• Budget about €15–€25 extra per person just in case.

🧳 Final Thoughts

If you're planning a trip to Barcelon, Spain this is a small but important expense to plan for. We learned the hard way — so now we'll always know to check in advance. For long-term travellers or families like us, it adds up quickly, but being prepared makes all the difference! It's a similar amount to a visa cost in some countries and this is a cost we budget for so this tax should be treated as no different. Please note: this info was true for the time we travelled May 2025 but as always please do your own research as this can change when it comes to local council / Government - it's of my opinion that they'll increase as time goes on.

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💡HELPFUL PLANNING TOOLS FOR YOUR BARCELONA TRIP WITH KIDS 💡

✈️ - FLIGHTS WITH KIDS - We use this flight checker to search the best flight tickets fall or our Barcelona flights.

🚌🚆🚇 - TRAVEL WITH KIDS - For Europe Train Travel

🏨 - ACCOMMODATION WITH KIDS - Check our Accommodation Planning Page for more for best price hotels, hostels and longer term rentals for Barcelona

🧭🗺️👣 - BARCELONA TOURS & GUIDES WITH KIDS - We use Get Your Guide for all trips. But we also love Klook too. TIP: Use both to compare offerings as trips will be different.

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