Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cairns Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cairns

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,254 in Cairns.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,387 in Cairns.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $4,519 in Cairns.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 5% more expensive than in Cairns, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Cairns 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$11.75 A$16.68

45.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$80.9 A$115

-15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.58 A$15.02

28.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.96 A$5.62

-29.80%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.88 A$4.09

-2.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.31 A$3.28

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$6.52 A$9.25

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.21 A$10.23

-36.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.72 A$2.44

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.51 A$3.56

-15.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.78 A$3.95

-28.42%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.99 A$5.67

-15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.92 A$11.23

139.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.11 A$12.93

4.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.51 A$17.75

49.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.10 A$4.40

-14.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.23 A$3.16

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.73 A$3.87

-23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$7.02 A$9.96

-61.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.22 A$3.15

-11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.30 A$3.26

-21.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.35 A$3.34

-35.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$2.85 A$4.05

-68.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$29.54 A$41.92

-77.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$13.10 A$18.59

-39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.39 A$4.81

-59.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.69 A$5.23

-34.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$3.35 A$4.75

-13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$64.8 A$92.0

-55.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$6.35 A$9.01

-27.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.14 A$4.46

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$34.08 A$48.35

-15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.11 A$1.57

63.96%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.7K A$32.2K

73.50%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$19.7K A$28.0K

64.50%

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

$187 €162

$153 A$217

22.30%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$36.27 A$51.5

-38.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$58.5 A$82.9

-37.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.77 A$53.6

52.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$15.62 A$22.17

32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$13.10 A$18.59

-17.79%

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

$725 €628

$1,631 A$2,314

-55.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$12.1K A$17.2K

25.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$84.0 A$119

4.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$68.3 A$96.9

-46.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$99.9 A$142

3.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$136 A$193

-12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,228 A$1,742

24.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,108 A$1,573

10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,017 A$2,863

35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,862 A$2,643

6.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$6,508 A$9,235

14.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$4,962 A$7,040

5.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$4,452 A$6,317

-46.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.96

-51.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cairns: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,228 in Cairns. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cairns pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $81.0 in Cairns for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $357 per month, with Barcelona 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 Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cairns differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,254 including rent). Cairns is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Cairns. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,228 in Cairns. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $1,631 in Cairns. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,254 in Cairns versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cairns but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cairns 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 Cairns 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 Cairns gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.