Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cambridge Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cambridge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,510 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,536 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,563 in Cambridge.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Cambridge 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$18.04 CA$25.02

2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$58.4 CA$81.0

18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.08 CA$13.98

39.38%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.62 CA$5.02

-14.09%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.00 CA$2.78

48.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.39 CA$1.93

40.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.29 CA$7.33

-24.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$6.26 CA$8.68

-26.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.12 CA$2.94

-37.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.49 CA$3.45

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.90 CA$4.03

-36.90%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.35 CA$4.65

54.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$11.33 CA$15.72

54.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$11.82 CA$16.40

-19.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$14.09 CA$19.54

41.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.79 CA$5.26

-16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.16 CA$1.60

90.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$4.37 CA$6.06

-40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.91 CA$5.42

-27.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.69 CA$3.74

-19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.85 CA$2.57

14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.23 CA$3.10

-27.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.53 CA$2.12

-42.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$13.57 CA$18.81

-47.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.91 CA$17.90

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.41 CA$3.34

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.08 CA$5.66

-32.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.56 CA$3.56

22.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$67.6 CA$93.7

-61.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.58 CA$3.58

24.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.78 CA$2.46

-15.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$23.39 CA$32.44

50.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.21 CA$1.67

44.63%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$26.3K CA$36.5K

39.42%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$19.9K CA$27.6K

59.30%

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

$187 €161

$148 CA$205

26.34%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$40.10 CA$55.6

-62.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$50.1 CA$69.5

-25.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$29.62 CA$41.07

87.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$10.67 CA$14.79

9.75%

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

$1,011 €871

$553 CA$767

82.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$16.6K CA$23.1K

2.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$57.1 CA$79.2

59.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$34.21 CA$47.45

19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$80.8 CA$112

36.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$110 CA$152

14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,375 CA$1,907

23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,373 CA$1,904

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,616 CA$3,628

-1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,079 CA$2,883

-7.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$4,317 CA$5,987

79.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$3,980 CA$5,520

35.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$3,047 CA$4,226

-22.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.09

-37.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,375 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 28% 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 $58.0 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $354, with Barcelona 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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cambridge differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $2,510 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Cambridge. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,375 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $553 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,510 in Cambridge, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Cambridge 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.