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Diari de Catalunya

Reconciling Family and Work in Summer is More Expensive in Barcelona Than in the Rest of Catalonia

Summer camps in the Catalan capital exceed 150 euros per week, while in other cities prices are significantly lower due to municipal subsidies.

Generic image of a calendar with marked dates and coins, symbolizing the planning and cost of family reconciliation during summer.
IA

Generic image of a calendar with marked dates and coins, symbolizing the planning and cost of family reconciliation during summer.

Balancing family life during the summer school holidays presents a significant economic challenge for many families, especially in Barcelona, where the cost of summer camps is considerably higher than in the rest of Catalonia.

Catalan families face the challenge of fitting eleven weeks of school holidays with the one month of parental leave. Options for reconciliation, such as summer camps, day camps, or colonies, involve a significant mental and financial burden. In Barcelona, the average price of a summer camp without a scholarship is around 150 euros per week for a full day with lunch, which amounts to about 600 euros per month per child.
This figure contrasts with prices in other provincial capitals. In Girona, the average cost is 96 euros per week, in Tarragona it is 110 euros, and in Lleida, the most economical option, it is 67 euros. Municipalities in the Barcelona metropolitan area also show higher prices, such as Santa Coloma de Gramenet with 123 euros per week. In smaller towns, with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, prices can be even lower, such as in Roses (61 euros) or Castell-Platja d'Aro (51 euros).
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"The cost ends up being the same, but families are not bearing the full price; this is easy to do in rural areas, but in Barcelona the City Council's budgets cannot support it."

Aina Espona · head of the summer camp campaign for the Fundació Pere Tarrés
These territorial differences are explained by the involvement of local councils in subsidizing the camps. While many municipalities tender for camps or establish agreements with non-profit organizations to offer affordable prices, in Barcelona the offer is mostly private. Nevertheless, the Catalan capital has the municipal campaign T'estiu molt, which accredits entities that meet price and inclusion requirements, allowing them to access scholarships and support staff for children with special educational needs.
This year, 290 entities have joined the T'estiu molt campaign, offering over 395,000 places. Aid, primarily aimed at vulnerable families, totals 5.1 million euros and will benefit 37,797 children. However, these scholarships are subject to a budgetary ceiling and do not always cover the entire duration of the camp, with aid provided for a maximum of ten days.
The price of camps in Barcelona has increased by 2.9% compared to last year, accumulating increases since 2023. This rise is due to factors such as increased food and transport costs, and improved working conditions for monitors, as the leisure sector agreement has seen significant pay rises. Another obstacle in Barcelona is access to municipal swimming pools, often reserved for private camps that manage them, limiting the offer for other entities.

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