Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cromwell Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cromwell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,819 in Cromwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,839 in Cromwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,859 in Cromwell.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 28% more expensive than in Cromwell, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Cromwell 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$11.87 NZ$20.32

48.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$72.1 NZ$123

-3.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$10.98 NZ$18.81

28.96%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.44 NZ$5.89

-18.60%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.31 NZ$3.95

21.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.07 NZ$3.55

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$7.40 NZ$12.68

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$6.06 NZ$10.37

-22.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.16 NZ$3.70

-43.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.97 NZ$3.38

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.88 NZ$3.21

5.32%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$5.61 NZ$9.61

-37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$8.37 NZ$14.33

119.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$10.52 NZ$18.01

-6.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$13.17 NZ$22.55

45.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.94 NZ$5.03

-7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.33 NZ$4.00

2.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.46 NZ$5.92

-39.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.48 NZ$7.66

-38.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.97 NZ$3.38

-0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.98 NZ$3.39

-9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.48 NZ$4.25

-40.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.11 NZ$1.91

-18.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$24.49 NZ$41.94

-70.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$9.04 NZ$15.47

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.52 NZ$4.32

-45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.62 NZ$6.20

-33.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.13 NZ$3.65

41.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$62.8 NZ$108

-53.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.78 NZ$4.76

56.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.10 NZ$1.88

93.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$30.56 NZ$52.3

-3.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.64 NZ$2.81

10.98%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$19.8K NZ$33.8K

91.75%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$25.8K NZ$44.1K

25.64%

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

$189 €165

$100 NZ$171

88.99%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$36.31 NZ$62.2

-38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$56.0 NZ$95.8

-33.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$36.90 NZ$63.2

57.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$12.02 NZ$20.58

71.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$9.10 NZ$15.58

19.45%

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

$706 €618

$596 NZ$1,021

18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.3K NZ$22.9K

11.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$65.2 NZ$112

37.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$35.22 NZ$60.3

3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$96.7 NZ$166

7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$124 NZ$212

-3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$965 NZ$1,653

63.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$785 NZ$1,344

57.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,565 NZ$2,680

73.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,378 NZ$2,360

47.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$4,752 NZ$8,136

58.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$3,426 NZ$5,866

52.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$3,070 NZ$5,256

-23.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.6

-48.64%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $965 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $72.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $325 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 Cromwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cromwell differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,819 including rent). Cromwell is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Cromwell. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $965 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $596 in Cromwell. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,819 in Cromwell versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cromwell but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cromwell 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 Cromwell 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 Cromwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.