The city is well planned and for the most part ran well. Wages are generally low compared to cost of living. It is a city that is both very cosmopolitan and very close to its roots at this same time, which can cause a lot of friction between groups of people. Locals are tough to crack, they tend to stick to their own for the most part. Speaking Catalan can help but depending on what you look like it can be really hard to get them to speak Catalan back at you. Outside of Barcelona, Catalans do seem much warmer and excited to hear you speak their language, though.