Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Derry Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Derry

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,730 in Derry.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,582 in Derry.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,433 in Derry.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than Derry, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Derry 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.81 £13.27

-1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$80.9 £60.2

-15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.27 £6.91

51.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.64 £3.46

-40.09%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.22 £1.65

26.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.45 £1.08

42.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.65 £4.21

-21.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$6.22 £4.63

-25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 £1.34

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.31 £0.97

54.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.03 £1.51

-5.42%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.37 £2.51

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$9.56 £7.12

92.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.08 £6.76

4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.90 £10.35

37.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.78 £2.07

-5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.32 £0.98

85.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.90 £2.16

-26.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.57 £2.66

-20.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.38 £1.03

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.37 £1.02

35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.99 £0.74

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.61 £1.20

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$21.10 £15.72

-66.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.65 £7.93

-26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.58 £1.92

-46.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.43 £2.55

-32.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.78 £2.81

-21.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$53.7 £40.01

-45.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.33 £3.97

-13.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.28 £1.70

-9.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$26.80 £19.96

8.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.92 £1.43

-4.17%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.0K £28.3K

2.80%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$38.4K £28.6K

-14.83%

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

$188 €162

$138 £103

35.85%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$15.82 £11.78

44.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$40.68 £30.30

-9.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$36.15 £26.93

58.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.77 £10.25

50.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.75 £8.00

4.09%

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

$721 €621

$1,140 £849

-36.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$18.3K £13.6K

-17.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$96.8 £72.1

-10.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$40.41 £30.10

-8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$103 £77.0

-1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$64.8 £48.28

78.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$835 £622

83.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$669 £498

82.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,327 £988

103.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,016 £757

98.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.32

-36.28%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Derry: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $835 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $81.0 in Derry. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $291, with Derry cheaper for home cooking.

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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Derry differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,730 including rent). Derry is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $2,595 in Derry to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $835 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,140 in Derry. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,730 in Derry versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Derry but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Derry 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 Derry 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 Derry gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.