Barcelona is one of the cities in Spain attracting a large number of foreign nationals thanks to its beauty, life-work balance and weather.
Still, as with any other city, Barcelona presents people living there with many challenges.
Christina Davis, a YouTuber and US national who moved to the Catalan capital several months ago, candidly opened up on what she thinks are the main perks and issues of the city.
While she believes there are “more pros than there are cons” to living in Barcelona, Ms Davis noted there is one issue in particular that she wishes she could change.
Ms Davis, who moved to the city on a digital nomad visa, said in a video posted on her YouTube channel: “One of the biggest cons in Barcelona, this is probably my number one big con here, is pickpocketing and scams.
“Because there are so many tourists here, in most of the areas in Barcelona you have to be very careful when you sit at a restaurant outside, your purse has to be on your lap, it cannot be anywhere else.
“You cannot leave your phone on top of the table, you have to leave it inside your bag. You want to make sure your bag is always close and have your arm over it, [so that] nobody can put their hand inside of it.
“If you are on the metro be really careful, just because you are in close quarters and these people are really good at it, they are professional pickpocketers.”
Ms Davis added she knows too many people who have had their mobile phones stolen while they were walking in the street by expert pickpocketers aboard a moped.
The expat also warned there are many scammers in Barcelona, operating both on streets – where they try to sell bogus products to tourists – and online, by putting on offer non-existing rooms and apartments.
Pickpocketing accounts for 48.1 percent of all crimes committed in Barcelona, while scams account for 15.1 percent, official figures show.
A whopping 100,944 pickpocket incidents were recorded in 2023, up 6.5 percent when compared to 2022. In 2023, scams were also up, by 35 percent, when compared to the previous year, with most of these crimes, 70 percent, happening on the internet.
While speaking about other issues linked to living in Barcelona, the US expat mentioned how difficult it is to find a place to live due to high demand, as well as the issues coming with living in an old building.
Nevertheless, Ms Davis said that the perks of living in Barcelona still outweigh the negative aspects, naming among other “pros” the low cost of living – with beers costing between £1.70 to £3.40 – outstanding food and eclectic international community.
Moreover, speaking about the local lifestyle, the expat said: “This may be one of my favourite things and something I learned once I moved to Spain and was much more aware of everyone around me, is that the Spanish lifestyle is just the best. They are not in a rush to work their life away.”
