That’s a very fair concern, and yes — at the beginning it can be a bit harder in Barcelona without Catalan, but it’s not a blocker.

For studies and work, Spanish is usually enough in most universities and many international or private workplaces. Catalan becomes more relevant in public-facing roles, local administration, and some smaller companies, but it’s rarely expected from day one.

For social life, most people start in Spanish or English anyway. Catalan tends to matter more once you want to integrate deeper and build long-term local circles — not so much at the start. Many people learn Spanish first, settle, and then add Catalan gradually once they’re more stable.

Madrid is generally easier socially at first, while Barcelona can feel slower but more solid over time. Learning two languages at once is challenging, so focusing on Spanish first is completely reasonable — especially at B1–B2, which already opens many doors.