Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barry Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barry

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,383 in Barry.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,499 in Barry.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,616 in Barry.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 4% more expensive than in Barry, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Barry 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$21.25 £15.70

-13.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$63.3 £46.77

9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.92 £8.07

28.66%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.60 £3.40

-32.39%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.02 £2.23

-1.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.04 £1.51

-4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.58 £4.12

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$6.30 £4.66

-26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.72 £1.27

-23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.70 £1.26

24.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.25 £1.66

-18.67%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$4.56 £3.37

13.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$9.26 £6.84

89.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$9.15 £6.76

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$14.29 £10.56

39.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.87 £2.12

10.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.56 £1.15

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.16 £2.34

-17.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.60 £2.66

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.97 £1.46

10.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.57 £1.16

34.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.08 £0.80

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.70 £1.26

-48.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$23.75 £17.56

-69.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$11.32 £8.37

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.94 £2.91

-61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.94 £2.91

-30.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.62 £2.67

-13.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$95.0 £70.2

-72.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$4.81 £3.55

-33.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.65 £0.48

132.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$21.79 £16.11

61.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.97 £1.46

-11.17%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$38.8K £28.7K

-5.43%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$41.5K £30.7K

-23.69%

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

$187 €161

$343 £254

-45.52%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$23.57 £17.42

-35.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$45.22 £33.42

-16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$46.80 £34.59

18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$6.04 £4.47

177.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$10.99 £8.12

6.55%

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

$1,011 €871

$2,050 £1,515

-50.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,458 £4,034

212.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$91.5 £67.6

-0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$45.10 £33.33

-9.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$102 £75.2

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$87.8 £64.9

43.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,239 £915

37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$996 £736

30.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,100 £1,552

23.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,705 £1,260

13.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$5,667 £4,189

36.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$4,374 £3,233

23.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.11

-38.16%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Barry: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,239 in Barry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $63.0 in Barry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $316 per month, with Barry 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 Barry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Barry differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $2,383 including rent). Barry is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $3,575 in Barry 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,239 in Barry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $2,050 in Barry. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,383 in Barry versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Barry but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barry 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 Barry 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 Barry gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.