Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Anuradhapura Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Anuradhapura

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,367 per month in Barcelona vs $489 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Barcelona vs $823 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,563 per month in Barcelona vs $1,157 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Barcelona costs about 384% more than Anuradhapura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barcelona sits 77% above the global median, while Anuradhapura is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.91 LKR 1,296

349.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$25.39 LKR 8,419

169.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.41 LKR 2,788

67.18%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.63 LKR 871

5.70%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.69 LKR 229

305.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.38 LKR 125

442.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.38 LKR 791

87.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.39 LKR 1,125

35.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.72 LKR 572

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.56 LKR 186

262.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.85 LKR 283

125.88%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.22 LKR 736

49.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.83 LKR 4,587

33.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.69 LKR 1,555

102.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$8.02 LKR 2,659

138.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$7.26 LKR 2,406

-63.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.11 LKR 368

120.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$5.91 LKR 1,958

-64.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.24 LKR 411

129.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.10 LKR 364

85.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.42 LKR 471

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.15 LKR 382

27.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 LKR 200

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$10.18 LKR 3,377

-29.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$12.77 LKR 4,236

-38.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.07 LKR 685

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.87 LKR 953

-19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.39 LKR 128

1079.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.35 LKR 117

491.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$0.56 LKR 186

5110.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.20 LKR 396

53.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

44.13%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$35.3K LKR 11.7M

-7.25%

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

$188 €162

$26.43 LKR 8,764

610.63%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$3.25 LKR 1,079

605.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$14.92 LKR 4,948

146.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$3.29 LKR 1,090

240.12%

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

$721 €620

$36.52 LKR 12.1K

1873.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$439 LKR 145.7K

3324.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$28.02 LKR 9,292

207.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$19.62 LKR 6,504

88.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$69.8 LKR 23.1K

46.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$39.00 LKR 12.9K

197.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.45

-79.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona versus $25.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $257 – making Anuradhapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona, $489 in Anuradhapura – roughly 384% apart. Barcelona costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,550 per month in Barcelona and $734 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona and $25.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Barcelona, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $489, than in Barcelona at $2,367. In Anuradhapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $489 in Anuradhapura to $2,367 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Anuradhapura. 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.