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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,857 in Derry.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,715 in Derry.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,573 in Derry.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 26% more expensive than Derry, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Derry 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$13.97 €11.96

26.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$62.1 €53.1

10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.38 €7.17

64.08%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.42 €3.78

-37.56%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.12 €1.82

31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.56 €1.33

31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$5.52 €4.73

-16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.59 €4.78

-17.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.46 €1.25

-12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.54 €1.32

37.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.15 €1.84

-8.37%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.55 €3.04

-3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$12.74 €10.91

47.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$10.47 €8.96

-9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.97 €10.25

58.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.98 €2.55

-8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.60 €1.37

48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.82 €2.42

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.52 €3.02

-21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.09 €0.94

80.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.40 €1.20

27.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.09 €0.94

38.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.62 €1.38

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$15.84 €13.56

-57.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$11.17 €9.56

-32.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.42 €2.07

-40.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.70 €2.31

-10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.44 €2.09

24.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$96.5 €82.6

-70.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$4.85 €4.15

-8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.38 €1.18

48.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$42.54 €36.41

-31.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.05 €1.75

-7.80%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$41.9K €35.8K

-7.47%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$38.6K €33.1K

-16.19%

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

$189 €161

$219 €188

-13.98%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$22.03 €18.86

0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$54.4 €46.59

-32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$33.69 €28.84

72.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$27.25 €23.33

-22.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$10.84 €9.28

1.94%

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

$726 €622

$1,058 €906

-31.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,096 €6,930

88.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$91.2 €78.1

-3.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$38.78 €33.19

-4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$102 €86.9

1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$75.6 €64.7

57.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$738 €632

106.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$724 €619

68.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,267 €1,084

120.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,068 €914

89.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,404 €2,058

195.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,782 €1,526

172.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,565 €2,195

-6.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.18

-18.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Derry: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $738 in Derry. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 7% 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 $62.0 in Derry for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $302 per month, with Derry 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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Derry differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,857 including rent). Derry is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Derry earns 7% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $738 in Derry. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $1,058 in Derry. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,857 in Derry versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,500 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 26% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.