Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Ashford versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,164 in Ashford versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,060 in Ashford versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Ashford costs roughly 4% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashford 69% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 £14.88

$17.58 €15.14

13.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.8

$68.4 €58.9

38.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.13

$14.06 €12.10

-22.40%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £2.99

$2.78 €2.39

44.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.13

$2.80 €2.41

2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$2.06 €1.78

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 £4.62

$4.46 €3.84

39.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 £4.67

$4.61 €3.97

36.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.24 €1.07

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 £1.09

$2.03 €1.75

-28.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.10

$1.92 €1.65

46.87%

Eggs

$3.75 £2.79

$3.31 €2.85

13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.03 £4.50

$18.43 €15.87

-67.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 £5.09

$9.49 €8.17

-28.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 £9.72

$19.16 €16.49

-31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 £2.47

$2.64 €2.27

25.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$2.45 €2.11

-19.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 £2.77

$2.12 €1.83

75.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 £2.64

$2.85 €2.45

24.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$2.04 €1.75

-3.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.85 €1.59

13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.47 €1.27

-17.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$0.84 €0.73

73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.80 £14.75

$7.14 €6.15

177.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 £7.10

$7.88 €6.79

20.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.62

$1.38 €1.19

154.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 £3.16

$2.31 €1.99

83.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.49

$2.98 €2.57

12.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 £66.9

$29.26 €25.19

206.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 £5.15

$4.60 €3.96

50.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 £1.16

$2.07 €1.78

-24.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 £39.69

$29.18 €25.12

82.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.84 €1.58

5.98%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.9K £18.6K

$39.0K €33.6K

-36.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K £19.6K

$32.7K €28.1K

-19.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$252 £188

$188 €162

34.07%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.62 £11.64

$22.93 €19.74

-31.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.76 £25.15

$36.71 €31.61

-8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 £44.25

$57.4 €49.39

3.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 £12.30

$11.19 €9.64

47.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,296 £1,711

$721 €621

218.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K £17.0K

$15.0K €13.0K

51.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 £65.8

$86.2 €74.2

2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.50 £21.98

$37.07 €31.92

-20.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 £63.9

$102 €87.8

-15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 £68.2

$116 €99.8

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 £963

$1,534 €1,320

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £741

$1,220 €1,051

-18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 £1,390

$2,696 €2,321

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 £956

$2,013 €1,733

-36.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,583 £4,905

$7,220 €6,216

-8.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,754 £3,542

$5,189 €4,467

-8.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,481 £1,849

$2,359 €2,031

5.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.39

63.42%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ashford: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in Ashford and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Ashford vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $318, with Ashford cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ashford vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashford is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ashford pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,293 in Ashford versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashford – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Ashford versus $2,367 in Barcelona – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,268 in Ashford versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ashford but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ashford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ashford is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ashford and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ashford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.