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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,431 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,467 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,503 in Carlton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 3% more expensive than in Carlton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Carlton 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$18.13 A$25.17

1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$70.5 A$97.8

-1.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$10.49 A$14.56

34.70%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.10 A$4.30

0.97%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.62 A$3.63

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.18 A$3.03

-10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.01 A$9.73

-42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$6.71 A$9.31

-29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.36 A$1.88

-8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.07 A$2.88

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.35 A$1.87

25.19%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.37 A$4.68

46.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$11.36 A$15.77

57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$9.45 A$13.12

1.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$16.03 A$22.25

20.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.53 A$4.90

-8.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.92 A$4.05

-25.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.30 A$4.59

-19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$4.87 A$6.75

-43.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.50 A$3.47

-11.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.31 A$3.21

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.31 A$3.21

-34.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.88 A$1.22

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$26.29 A$36.49

-72.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$10.77 A$14.96

-24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$5.58 A$7.74

-73.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$5.05 A$7.01

-44.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.28 A$4.55

-3.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$86.4 A$120

-68.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$3.80 A$5.27

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.26 A$1.75

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$26.64 A$36.99

30.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.39 A$1.94

25.90%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$18.5K A$25.7K

97.99%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$14.1K A$19.6K

119.57%

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

$188 €161

$94.7 A$131

98.24%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$27.70 A$38.46

-44.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$47.28 A$65.6

-20.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$32.86 A$45.61

74.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$18.07 A$25.08

-7.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$13.76 A$19.10

-15.84%

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

$1,003 €862

$2,132 A$2,960

-52.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$12.8K A$17.8K

32.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$83.1 A$115

7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$50.6 A$70.3

-19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$71.9 A$99.8

53.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$134 A$186

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$1,468 A$2,038

13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$1,307 A$1,814

1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$2,273 A$3,155

14.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,851 A$2,570

5.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$7,530 A$10.5K

0.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$5,658 A$7,854

-5.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$6,057 A$8,408

-60.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.85

-45.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Carlton: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,468 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 152% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $347 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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Carlton differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,431 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% lower in Carlton. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,468 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $2,132 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,431 in Carlton versus $2,495 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 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.