Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aberdeen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aberdeen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,367 per month in Barcelona vs $2,228 in Aberdeen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Barcelona vs $3,478 in Aberdeen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,563 per month in Barcelona vs $4,729 in Aberdeen, rent included.

Barcelona costs about 6% more than Aberdeen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Barcelona and Aberdeen sit above the global median – Barcelona by 77%, Aberdeen by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$21.87 £16.29

-19.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$80.0 £59.6

-14.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.06 £7.50

39.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.70 £3.50

-40.85%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.12 £1.58

32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.53 £1.14

34.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.01 £4.47

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$6.63 £4.94

-30.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.77 £1.32

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.69 £1.26

20.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.85 £1.38

3.78%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.23 £3.15

-21.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.61 £6.41

114.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.72 £8.73

-19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.95 £10.39

37.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.19 £2.37

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.65 £1.23

48.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.89 £2.15

-26.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.11 £3.06

-30.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.14 £0.85

78.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.39 £1.04

33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.20 £0.89

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.40 £1.04

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$19.19 £14.30

-62.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$11.19 £8.33

-29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.24 £1.67

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.33 £1.74

-0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$5.54 £4.13

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$107 £79.9

-72.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.66 £3.47

-1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.70 £1.27

21.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$34.63 £25.79

-15.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.90 £1.42

-3.16%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.0K £28.3K

2.64%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$41.0K £30.5K

-20.17%

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

$188 €162

$410 £306

-54.22%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$24.34 £18.13

-5.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$45.47 £33.87

-19.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$62.7 £46.66

-8.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$10.82 £8.06

91.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$8.93 £6.65

25.31%

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

$721 €621

$1,835 £1,367

-60.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$15.5K £11.6K

-3.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$84.0 £62.6

2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$41.42 £30.85

-10.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.5 £69.7

9.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$120 £89.6

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$881 £656

74.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$776 £578

57.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,656 £1,233

62.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,565 £1,166

28.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,344 £1,746

208.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$3,546 £2,641

46.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$3,604 £2,684

-34.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.2

-45.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Barcelona versus $881 in Aberdeen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Aberdeen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona versus $80.0 in Aberdeen. Groceries tell a different story – $318 in Barcelona vs $309 in Aberdeen – so Aberdeen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Barcelona vs Aberdeen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 6% more than Aberdeen, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,550 per month in Barcelona and $3,342 in Aberdeen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aberdeen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,367 in Barcelona and $2,228 in Aberdeen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 267% less in Aberdeen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Aberdeen, where all-in costs run around $2,228, than in Barcelona at $2,367. In Aberdeen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aberdeen costs $2,228 versus $2,367 in Barcelona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aberdeen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.