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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,095 in Athlone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,141 in Athlone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $5,188 in Athlone.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 24% less than in Athlone, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Athlone 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$19.87 €17.09

-11.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$95.3 €82.0

-28.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.58 €9.10

32.89%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.68 €4.03

-40.60%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.50 €2.15

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.16 €1.86

-4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.13 €6.13

-37.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.68 €5.74

-30.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.31 €1.13

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.30 €1.12

56.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.74 €1.50

10.34%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.94 €3.39

-15.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.18 €9.61

64.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.96 €10.29

-20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$12.38 €10.65

54.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.76 €2.37

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.52 €1.30

61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.46 €2.12

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.80 €2.41

1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.63 €2.27

-22.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.14 €1.84

-13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.63 €1.40

-9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.94 €1.67

-56.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$20.79 €17.88

-65.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$11.75 €10.11

-32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.53 €3.04

-60.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.66 €3.15

-36.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.82 €1.56

63.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$99.4 €85.5

-70.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$5.12 €4.41

-10.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.65 €2.28

-21.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$29.41 €25.30

-0.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.03 €1.75

-9.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$41.7K €35.9K

-6.54%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$40.1K €34.5K

-18.43%

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

$188 €162

$246 €211

-23.60%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$22.09 €19.00

3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$47.49 €40.85

-22.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$59.6 €51.3

-3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$17.11 €14.72

20.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$14.11 €12.14

-20.69%

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

$721 €620

$1,351 €1,162

-46.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$7,303 €6,282

105.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$104 €89.6

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$41.49 €35.69

-10.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$89.5 €77.0

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$77.8 €66.9

48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,468 €1,263

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,793 €1,542

-31.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,483 €2,136

8.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$2,183 €1,878

-7.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,525 €3,032

104.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,525 €3,032

47.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,848 €3,310

-38.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.6

-26.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Athlone: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,468 in Athlone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 63% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $95.0 in Athlone. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $317, 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

Barcelona vs Athlone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 31% 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.

On paper, Athlone earns 63% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,468 in Athlone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,351 in Athlone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Athlone pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $2,367 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barcelona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Athlone 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 31% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.