Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Athlone versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,839 in Athlone versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Athlone versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Athlone is roughly 5% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 91% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 €19.28

$18.39 €15.86

21.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.6 €79.9

$69.2 €59.7

33.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.57

$14.13 €12.19

-5.10%

Cappuccino

$4.52 €3.90

$3.13 €2.70

44.41%

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

$2.93 €2.53

$3.02 €2.60

-2.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.96 €1.69

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 €6.36

$4.00 €3.45

84.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 €6.18

$4.76 €4.11

50.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.25 €1.08

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.13

$2.16 €1.87

-39.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.69 €1.45

1.78%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$4.93 €4.25

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 €9.64

$17.88 €15.42

-37.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 €10.38

$9.61 €8.29

25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 €10.49

$19.34 €16.68

-37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$3.24 €2.79

-18.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.18 €1.88

-22.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.67 €2.30

-6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$2.77 €2.39

3.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$2.21 €1.91

10.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.19 €1.89

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.52 €1.31

-0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.92 €0.79

122.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.64 €16.08

$7.12 €6.14

161.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 €10.08

$8.14 €7.02

43.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.05

$1.50 €1.29

136.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.28

$2.78 €2.40

36.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.15 €2.72

-33.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 €4.73

$3.25 €2.80

68.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.50 €1.29

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.37

$34.89 €30.10

-15.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.75 €1.51

21.14%

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

$40.1K €34.6K

$36.7K €31.6K

9.29%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$30.9K €26.7K

24.04%

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

$253 €218

$188 €162

34.85%

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

$22.53 €19.43

$15.44 €13.32

45.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 €43.98

$37.80 €32.60

34.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 €52.5

$57.2 €49.32

6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.31 €32.18

$16.80 €14.49

122.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 €10.22

$11.58 €9.99

2.33%

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

$1,051 €907

$1,003 €865

4.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,669 €4,889

$17.0K €14.7K

-66.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 €84.8

$89.2 €77.0

10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 €36.71

$40.87 €35.25

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €75.3

$110 €94.9

-20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 €68.2

$123 €106

-35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,320

$1,673 €1,443

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 €1,219

$1,331 €1,148

6.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 €2,268

$2,596 €2,239

1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 €1,988

$1,950 €1,682

18.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,526 €3,041

$7,573 €6,532

-53.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,454 €2,979

$5,370 €4,632

-35.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,235 €2,790

$2,402 €2,072

34.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.16

18.04%

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

Last update for Athlone: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,530 in Athlone and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $93.0 in Athlone vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $332, with Athlone 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

Athlone vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barcelona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Athlone, 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: $1,530 in Athlone versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,622 per month in Athlone versus $2,495 in Barcelona – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barcelona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,495 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barcelona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.