Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Canterbury Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Canterbury

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,555 in Canterbury.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,771 in Canterbury.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,987 in Canterbury.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 8% less than in Canterbury, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Canterbury 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$27.32 £20.22

-35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$81.8 £60.5

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$10.35 £7.66

32.85%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.41 £3.27

-37.41%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.73 £1.28

60.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.69 £1.25

21.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$6.54 £4.84

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$6.19 £4.58

-25.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.41 £1.04

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.37 £1.02

54.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.91 £1.41

3.14%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$3.71 £2.74

-7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$10.12 £7.49

86.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$8.05 £5.96

17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$12.95 £9.59

46.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.65 £1.96

2.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.52 £1.12

55.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.79 £2.07

-25.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.73 £2.02

1.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.43 £1.06

37.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.37 £1.02

30.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.72 £0.53

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.53 £1.13

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$20.29 £15.01

-66.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$15.95 £11.80

-52.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.28 £1.69

-36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$4.56 £3.37

-47.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$3.47 £2.57

-12.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$228 £168

-87.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$5.26 £3.89

-15.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.57 £1.16

30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$14.91 £11.03

96.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.87 £1.38

1.07%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$38.9K £28.8K

-0.49%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$40.8K £30.2K

-20.73%

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

$189 €161

$222 £164

-14.88%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$19.40 £14.35

14.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$44.28 £32.77

-16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$46.62 £34.50

24.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$37.95 £28.08

-44.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$13.52 £10.01

-18.27%

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

$726 €620

$1,142 £845

-36.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$16.1K £11.9K

-5.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$83.6 £61.8

5.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$49.90 £36.92

-25.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$111 £82.2

-7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$97.6 £72.2

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$1,365 £1,010

11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$1,212 £897

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$2,201 £1,629

26.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$1,900 £1,406

6.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$5,245 £3,881

35.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$4,487 £3,320

8.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$3,090 £2,287

-22.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.53

-38.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,365 in Canterbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canterbury pays 29% 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 $82.0 in Canterbury. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $288, with Canterbury 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 Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Canterbury differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,555 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Canterbury earns 29% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,365 in Canterbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Canterbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Canterbury pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,555 in Canterbury, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Canterbury. 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 Canterbury 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 9% less than in Canterbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.