Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Carlton Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Carlton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,137 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,033 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,930 in Carlton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 11% more expensive than Carlton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Carlton 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$19.34 A$26.96

-9.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$64.6 A$90.0

6.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.68 A$13.49

45.25%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.71 A$3.78

2.58%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.46 A$3.43

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.98 A$2.76

4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.26 A$8.72

-28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.03 A$8.40

-23.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.11 A$1.55

11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.70 A$2.36

19.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.62 A$2.25

18.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.08 A$4.29

7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.69 A$12.12

112.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.14 A$12.74

3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.87 A$20.72

28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.17 A$4.41

-16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.66 A$3.71

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.90 A$4.05

-26.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.04 A$5.63

-29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.28 A$3.17

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.01 A$2.80

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.13 A$2.97

-30.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.31 A$1.83

-35.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$28.17 A$39.25

-74.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$10.65 A$14.84

-26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$4.65 A$6.48

-70.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.13 A$7.15

-54.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.98 A$4.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$51.2 A$71.3

-42.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.68 A$5.13

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.35 A$1.89

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$24.73 A$34.46

17.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.14 A$1.58

61.40%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.5K A$32.7K

66.13%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$13.0K A$18.2K

150.93%

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

$188 €162

$73.9 A$103

154.22%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$21.23 A$29.59

8.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$43.45 A$60.6

-15.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$44.96 A$62.7

27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$18.22 A$25.39

13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.82 A$16.46

-5.33%

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

$721 €620

$1,166 A$1,625

-38.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$11.3K A$15.8K

32.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$67.7 A$94.3

27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$54.3 A$75.7

-31.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$77.3 A$108

31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$102 A$143

13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,292 A$1,800

18.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,141 A$1,590

6.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,949 A$2,716

38.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,600 A$2,230

25.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$5,631 A$7,847

28.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$5,897 A$8,218

-12.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$5,980 A$8,333

-60.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.19

-45.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Carlton: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,292 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 153% 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 $65.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $317 per month, with Carlton 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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Carlton differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,137 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Carlton earns 153% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,292 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,166 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,137 in Carlton versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton 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 Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.