Comparación del coste de vida entre Barcelona y Birmingham Comparación del coste de vida entre Barcelona y Birmingham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,377 in Birmingham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,426 in Birmingham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,474 in Birmingham.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 1% less than in Birmingham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Birmingham 78% above.

Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.61 €15.08
$20.33 £15.06
-13.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.7 €58.8
$80.4 £59.5
-14.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.75 €11.77
$9.26 £6.86
48.49%
Cappuccino
$2.76 €2.36
$4.67 £3.46
-40.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 €2.38
$2.35 £1.74
18.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 €1.75
$1.77 £1.31
15.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.61 €3.94
$6.76 £5.01
-31.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 €3.93
$6.27 £4.65
-26.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.10
$1.67 £1.24
-23.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.11 €1.81
$1.66 £1.23
27.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.69
$2.66 £1.97
-25.94%
Eggs
$3.44 €2.95
$3.63 £2.69
-5.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.83 €16.12
$10.43 £7.73
80.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.45 €8.09
$8.25 £6.11
14.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.01 €16.27
$13.80 £10.23
37.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 €2.33
$2.61 £1.94
4.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 €2.03
$1.81 £1.34
30.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.78
$1.96 £1.46
6.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.76 €2.36
$2.73 £2.03
1.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 €1.69
$1.64 £1.21
20.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 €1.53
$1.42 £1.05
26.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 €1.29
$1.46 £1.08
3.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.77
$1.35 £1.00
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.76 €5.79
$18.73 £13.88
-63.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.55 €6.46
$11.71 £8.68
-35.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.23
$3.47 £2.57
-58.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 €2.06
$4.23 £3.14
-43.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.03 €2.59
$3.30 £2.44
-8.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.39 €24.30
$82.8 £61.4
-65.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.79
$6.68 £4.95
-33.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 €1.76
$1.38 £1.02
48.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.33 €25.11
$22.60 £16.74
29.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.89 €1.62
$1.98 £1.47
-4.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K €33.2K
$37.7K £28.0K
2.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K €27.7K
$40.3K £29.9K
-19.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 €161
$299 £221
-36.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.21 €19.01
$24.19 £17.93
-8.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.82 €31.52
$38.88 £28.81
-5.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.0 €49.64
$32.74 £24.26
77.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.99 €17.97
$10.25 £7.59
104.78%
Cinema Ticket
$11.05 €9.46
$18.00 £13.34
-38.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$726 €622
$1,612 £1,194
-54.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.0K
$19.5K £14.5K
-21.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.3 €75.6
$97.4 £72.2
-9.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.98 €31.66
$49.18 £36.45
-24.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €87.8
$119 £88.1
-13.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €102
$143 £106
-16.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,526 €1,307
$1,317 £976
15.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,218 €1,043
$1,075 £796
13.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,794 €2,392
$2,288 £1,695
22.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,027 €1,735
$1,618 £1,199
25.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,094 €6,073
$5,405 £4,005
31.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,849 €4,151
$4,241 £3,142
14.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Birmingham
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,404 €2,058
$3,726 £2,761
-35.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.39
5.76
-41.15%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Birmingham: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,317 in Birmingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birmingham pays 55% 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 $80.0 in Birmingham. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $297, with Birmingham cheaper for home cooking.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Barcelona vs Birmingham: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and Birmingham?
Barcelona and Birmingham differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,377 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Birmingham earns 55% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and Birmingham?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,317 in Birmingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Birmingham?
Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $1,612 in Birmingham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Birmingham pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,377 in Birmingham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Birmingham. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Birmingham?
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.
Is Barcelona or Birmingham safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Birmingham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Birmingham?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Birmingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelona vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado

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