Barcelona for international students: universities, neighbourhoods and short-term housing for the 2026-2027 academic year

Every year, thousands of international students choose Barcelona to study for a degree, a master's or an exchange programme. The city combines top-tier universities, an intense cultural life and a manageable size that lets you get around without a car. If you are starting the 2026-2027 academic year, this guide will help you decide where to study and, above all, where to live while you settle in.

The leading universities and their neighbourhoods

Barcelona is home to several of the highest-rated universities in Spain, each with its own area of influence within the city:

• Universitat de Barcelona (UB) — ranked first in Spain by QS, and particularly strong in Medicine, Humanities and Natural Sciences. Its campuses are spread across several districts, so Eixample, Sants and Les Corts are the most practical neighbourhoods for getting there on foot or a few metro stops away.
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) — a benchmark in Veterinary Medicine, Biosciences and Communication, with its main campus in Cerdanyola del Vallès. Many students prefer to live in Cerdanyola, Gràcia or Eixample and combine the commuter train with city life.
• Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) — among the top 100 in Europe, strong in Economics, Law and Political Science, with a Poblenou campus geared towards international students. Poblenou, Vila Olímpica and La Barceloneta are all a step away, with the added bonus of having the beach as a neighbour.
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) — a European benchmark in Engineering, Architecture and Technology. Les Corts and Sarrià are the most convenient areas for its various campuses.
• Universitat Ramon Llull (URL), which includes ESADE — a global top 10 in business, as well as Design and Chemistry. Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Gràcia account for much of its student life.

How much it costs to live near campus

As a market reference, a room in a shared flat in university areas usually ranges between €450 and €750 per month, with a total monthly budget (housing, food, transport and leisure) of around €900-1,200 for an international student in Barcelona. Prices vary considerably depending on the neighbourhood and the season: September and October, with the mass arrival of exchange students, are the months of highest demand.

Why short-term rental makes sense for an academic year

Most exchange programmes, master's degrees and research stays last between one and nine months — precisely the range that fits neither a traditional lease (designed for years) nor a rigid hall of residence. A seasonal rental gives you several concrete advantages:

• Contracts matched to the real length of your course or programme, without committing to a full year if your stay is one semester.
• Furnished, move-in ready flats, which is especially valuable if you are arriving from another country and cannot bring furniture or appliances.
• The flexibility to try out a neighbourhood before deciding whether to stay longer in Barcelona once the programme is over.
• Fewer initial formalities than a long-term lease, which helps when you are still sorting out your NIE, enrolment and other paperwork at the same time.

Before you arrive: what is worth sorting out

If you are coming from outside Spain, make sure you have your health insurance in place well in advance (compulsory for enrolment at most universities), along with the NIE application and, if your stay exceeds three months, registration (empadronamiento) at your Barcelona address. September concentrates the demand for appointments, so the sooner you start, the better.

At aTemporal we work regularly with international students looking for a flat near their university for exactly the length of their programme: no surprises, no furniture to buy, and the flexibility to match the contract term to your academic year.