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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $538 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $877 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,217 in Badulla.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 360% more expensive than in Badulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Badulla is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$4.49 LKR 1,484

317.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$25.54 LKR 8,445

172.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$7.77 LKR 2,570

77.22%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.48 LKR 820

25.00%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.68 LKR 226

316.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.25 LKR 82.4

652.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.27 LKR 749

75.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.95 LKR 976

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.58 LKR 524

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.54 LKR 178

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.67 LKR 222

162.69%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.63 LKR 539

214.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$13.02 LKR 4,306

37.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$3.73 LKR 1,233

158.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$7.36 LKR 2,434

173.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$6.69 LKR 2,213

-51.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.83 LKR 274

168.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$4.22 LKR 1,396

-38.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.23 LKR 408

124.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.99 LKR 326

123.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.80 LKR 265

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.87 LKR 289

78.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.45 LKR 150

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$10.42 LKR 3,445

-29.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$13.52 LKR 4,469

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.89 LKR 625

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.87 LKR 948

-2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.39 LKR 128

738.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.35 LKR 115

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$0.88 LKR 292

3794.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.33 LKR 439

30.08%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

-0.60%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-24.02%

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

$187 €163

$55.4 LKR 18.3K

237.57%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$4.12 LKR 1,361

267.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$20.83 LKR 6,888

80.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$4.32 LKR 1,427

164.12%

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

$997 €867

$38.72 LKR 12.8K

2473.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,238 LKR 409.3K

1235.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$19.84 LKR 6,561

366.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$16.62 LKR 5,494

148.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

41.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$42.27 LKR 14.0K

195.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$75.5 LKR 25.0K

2160.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$46.29 LKR 15.3K

2678.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

2047.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$4,574 LKR 1.5M

67.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$762 LKR 251.9K

578.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$228 LKR 75.4K

929.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

12.69

-75.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Badulla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $75.5 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 929% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $227 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 360% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 929% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $75.5 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $38.72 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 $26.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $538 in Badulla versus $2,476 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 360% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.