Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Croydon Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Croydon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $3,069 in Croydon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $4,158 in Croydon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $5,248 in Croydon.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 24% less than in Croydon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Croydon 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$16.39 £12.19

4.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$67.2 £49.95

3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.46 £7.03

45.67%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.97 £3.70

-44.47%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.35 £1.75

18.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.37 £1.02

45.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$6.96 £5.18

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$5.57 £4.14

-14.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.83 £1.36

-29.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.62 £1.20

26.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.64 £1.96

-24.62%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.79 £2.82

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.27 £5.40

158.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$8.35 £6.21

12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$14.65 £10.89

30.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.30 £1.71

17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.30 £0.96

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.19 £2.37

-33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.88 £1.40

51.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.36 £1.01

44.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.18 £0.88

52.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.49 £1.11

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.51 £1.12

-43.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$20.00 £14.87

-66.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.84 £7.32

-19.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.52 £1.87

-44.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.13 £2.33

-24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.45 £1.82

19.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$122 £91.0

-76.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.66 £4.95

-33.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.19 £1.63

-6.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$53.4 £39.70

-44.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.95 £1.45

-6.67%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$38.5K £28.6K

0.86%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$41.3K £30.7K

-19.91%

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

$189 €163

$369 £275

-48.78%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$16.15 £12.01

41.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$44.77 £33.28

-16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$35.47 £26.37

62.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$13.81 £10.27

50.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$11.35 £8.44

-4.67%

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

$728 €628

$1,588 £1,180

-54.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$18.6K £13.8K

-20.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$73.5 £54.6

20.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$48.92 £36.37

-24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$81.0 £60.2

25.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$161 £120

-27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$2,010 £1,495

-21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$1,678 £1,248

-27.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$2,660 £1,978

5.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$2,364 £1,757

-16.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$8,945 £6,650

-13.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$7,024 £5,222

-26.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$4,589 £3,412

-48.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.08

-44.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Croydon: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $2,010 in Croydon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Croydon pays 96% 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 $67.0 in Croydon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $278 per month, with Croydon 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 Croydon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Croydon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $3,069 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Croydon earns 96% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $2,010 in Croydon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $1,588 in Croydon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Croydon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Croydon 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 31% less than in Croydon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.