Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barnsley Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barnsley

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,758 in Barnsley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,715 in Barnsley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,672 in Barnsley.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Barnsley, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Barnsley 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$27.08 £20.14

-36.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$86.7 £64.5

-20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.37 £7.71

32.88%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.42 £3.28

-37.56%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.41 £1.79

15.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.82 £1.35

9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.50 £4.09

-20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$6.83 £5.08

-30.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.59 £1.18

-18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.65 £1.23

24.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.02 £1.50

-1.49%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.91 £2.91

-13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.58 £7.12

96.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$9.00 £6.70

4.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$11.94 £8.88

60.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.89 £2.15

-6.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.48 £1.10

58.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.58 £1.92

-17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.01 £2.23

-5.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.75 £1.30

12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.60 £1.19

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.11 £0.82

30.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.36 £1.01

-36.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$18.70 £13.90

-63.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$11.41 £8.48

-30.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.78 £2.07

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.36 £2.50

-29.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.70 £2.01

8.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$88.4 £65.8

-67.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.32 £3.95

-16.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.27 £0.94

61.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$19.55 £14.53

51.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.91 £1.42

-4.71%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$39.0K £29.0K

-0.32%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$42.3K £31.4K

-21.69%

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

$189 €163

$203 £151

-7.00%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$18.74 £13.93

21.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$43.05 £32.01

-12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$46.55 £34.61

24.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.16 £9.04

-11.02%

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

$728 €628

$1,490 £1,108

-51.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,899 £5,129

114.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$60.5 £44.99

46.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$38.61 £28.71

-4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$84.3 £62.7

21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$83.0 £61.7

39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$742 £552

111.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$581 £432

109.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,140 £848

145.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$993 £738

98.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,931 £2,179

-20.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.9

-42.54%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barnsley: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $742 in Barnsley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnsley pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $87.0 in Barnsley. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $287, with Barnsley 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 Barnsley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Barnsley differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,758 including rent). Barnsley is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barnsley earns 25% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $742 in Barnsley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $1,490 in Barnsley. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,758 in Barnsley versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Barnsley but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barnsley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Barnsley 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 Barnsley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.