Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Badulla Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Badulla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $531 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $866 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,201 in Badulla.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 341% more expensive than Badulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Badulla is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.08 LKR 1,300

331.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$25.24 LKR 8,050

172.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.16 LKR 2,602

68.50%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.62 LKR 836

5.34%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.74 LKR 236

275.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.37 LKR 119

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.36 LKR 752

95.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.33 LKR 1,062

37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.66 LKR 530

-22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.53 LKR 168

298.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.69 LKR 220

185.51%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.15 LKR 685

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$14.31 LKR 4,563

31.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.99 LKR 1,271

136.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.86 LKR 2,505

141.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$7.67 LKR 2,447

-64.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.06 LKR 339

123.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$5.73 LKR 1,829

-63.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.21 LKR 387

128.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.11 LKR 355

77.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.43 LKR 455

25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.20 LKR 383

25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.61 LKR 193

47.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$9.86 LKR 3,145

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$12.64 LKR 4,031

-40.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.08 LKR 664

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.84 LKR 905

-15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.39 LKR 123

1035.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.36 LKR 114

469.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$0.61 LKR 193

4708.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.20 LKR 382

57.50%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.2K LKR 8.7M

42.50%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$35.0K LKR 11.2M

-7.67%

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

$189 €161

$60.1 LKR 19.2K

213.74%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$4.20 LKR 1,340

428.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$15.23 LKR 4,857

141.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.25 LKR 1,037

240.00%

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

$726 €622

$36.67 LKR 11.7K

1881.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$441 LKR 140.6K

3352.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$28.02 LKR 8,937

215.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$19.70 LKR 6,283

87.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$69.3 LKR 22.1K

48.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$38.65 LKR 12.3K

208.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-71.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Badulla: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $253 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 341% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $797 in Badulla to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $36.67 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Badulla versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla 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, Barcelona and Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 341% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.