Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brentwood

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,111 in Brentwood, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Brentwood, United Kingdom
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Brentwood
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,111
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Brentwood

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Brentwood actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,111 in Brentwood.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Brentwood $3,111

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $4,366 in Brentwood.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Brentwood $4,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $5,620 in Brentwood.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Brentwood $5,620

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 21% less than in Brentwood, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Brentwood 129% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$19.84 £14.93
-11.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$81.4 £61.3
-17.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$11.77 £8.86
14.95%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$4.88 £3.67
-34.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$1.89 £1.42
53.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.15 £0.86
64.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$6.69 £5.03
-40.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$5.95 £4.48
-23.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.69 £1.27
-22.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.10 £0.83
83.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.25 £1.70
-17.78%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$4.10 £3.08
17.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$8.32 £6.26
101.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$6.27 £4.72
45.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$13.08 £9.84
50.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$3.22 £2.42
-7.45%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.43 £1.08
41.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$2.57 £1.94
5.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$2.88 £2.17
-2.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.75 £0.56
178.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$1.24 £0.93
66.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.84 £0.63
73.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.31 £0.99
-28.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$17.20 £12.95
-60.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$9.37 £7.05
-15.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.10 £1.58
-32.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$2.12 £1.59
19.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$5.21 £3.92
-39.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$95.3 £71.7
-73.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$5.03 £3.79
-40.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.43 £1.08
4.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$22.24 £16.73
50.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.99 £1.50
-9.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$39.3K £29.6K
-15.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$40.1K £30.2K
-20.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$316 £238
-42.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$14.14 £10.64
-2.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$41.24 £31.04
-18.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$33.66 £25.33
53.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$23.07 £17.37
-30.82%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$20.57 £15.48
-46.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$1,914 £1,441
-52.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$22.4K £16.9K
-26.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$92.3 £69.5
-5.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$39.45 £29.69
-2.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$81.0 £60.9
30.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$96.7 £72.8
23.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$1,527 £1,149
11.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$1,832 £1,379
-26.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$2,781 £2,093
-6.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$2,858 £2,151
-27.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$5,041 £3,794
37.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$3,864 £2,908
32.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Brentwood
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$3,389 £2,550
-34.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
4.67
-29.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brentwood: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Brentwood
$1.8K 35.2% $477
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Brentwood
$256 20.6% $66
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Brentwood
$310 15.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Brentwood
$371 62.9% $143
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Brentwood
$139 11.9% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Brentwood
$75 1.8% $1.3
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Brentwood
$128 165% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,527 in Brentwood. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brentwood pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $81 in Brentwood. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $256, with Brentwood cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇬🇧 Brentwood
🕒 Local time
17:57 5:57 PM
16:57 4:57 PM
1 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
76,575
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Brentwood 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Brentwood

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Brentwood: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Brentwood?
Barcelona and Brentwood differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,453 vs $3,111 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, salaries run 35% lower in Barcelona. 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 in Brentwood?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,527 in Brentwood. 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 Brentwood?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,914 in Brentwood. 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 Brentwood pay roughly 21% 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 $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,111 in Brentwood, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Brentwood. 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 Brentwood?
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.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Brentwood?
It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Brentwood on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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