Which is better: apartment living or homestay?

Completely Recommend Homestay! Your experience is so much more authentic than the apartment. You'll have those relationships for a lifetime.

While we tend to agree with user @Hayward, it really does depend on the student. We have some amazing host families in Barcelona, as well as some great apartment/dorm-style options (and even some that are a sort of hybrid of the two, where a host mother/family owns an apartment that they look after).

Have heard some not so great stories regarding host families, that is why i am leery. I have received all good reviews on apartments. What are good/safe areas for apartments?