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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,782 in Cromwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,789 in Cromwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,795 in Cromwell.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Cromwell, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Cromwell 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.86 NZ$20.03

48.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$71.8 NZ$121

-4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.89 NZ$18.39

29.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.35 NZ$5.66

-17.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.27 NZ$3.83

23.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.09 NZ$3.52

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.04 NZ$11.89

-36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.98 NZ$10.09

-22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.16 NZ$3.64

-42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.97 NZ$3.32

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.89 NZ$3.19

1.59%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$5.49 NZ$9.26

-39.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.12 NZ$13.70

126.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$10.87 NZ$18.35

-12.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$12.91 NZ$21.80

48.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.99 NZ$5.05

-11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.28 NZ$3.84

7.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.42 NZ$5.78

-38.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.46 NZ$7.53

-36.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.00 NZ$3.37

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-10.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.53 NZ$4.27

-41.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.07 NZ$1.81

-21.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$24.46 NZ$41.30

-70.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.94 NZ$15.09

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.47 NZ$4.16

-44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.68 NZ$6.20

-37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.13 NZ$3.60

39.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$64.9 NZ$110

-54.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.64 NZ$4.45

74.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.14 NZ$1.92

81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$29.72 NZ$50.2

-1.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.65 NZ$2.78

11.52%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

97.74%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.4K NZ$42.9K

28.73%

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

$188 €162

$101 NZ$170

86.22%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$35.29 NZ$59.6

-35.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$54.7 NZ$92.3

-32.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$37.06 NZ$62.6

54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$12.29 NZ$20.75

68.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.30 NZ$15.70

20.32%

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

$721 €620

$576 NZ$972

25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$13.3K NZ$22.4K

13.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$65.5 NZ$111

31.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$35.42 NZ$59.8

4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$95.3 NZ$161

7.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$120 NZ$203

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$981 NZ$1,656

56.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$779 NZ$1,314

56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,588 NZ$2,681

69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,383 NZ$2,334

45.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,516 NZ$7,624

59.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,394 NZ$5,730

52.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,160 NZ$5,334

-25.33%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $981 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 34% 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 $72.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $323 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,782 including rent). Cromwell is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cromwell earns 34% 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 $981 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $576 in Cromwell. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,782 in Cromwell versus $2,367 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 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.