Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ely, Cambridgeshire Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ely, Cambridgeshire

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,291 in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,398 in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,506 in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 3% more expensive than Ely, Cambridgeshire, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Ely, Cambridgeshire 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$19.14 £14.18

-7.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$89.6 £66.4

-23.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$12.76 £9.45

9.40%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$5.61 £4.16

-50.80%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.53 £1.87

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.85 £1.37

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.18 £3.84

-12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$4.37 £3.24

3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.59 £1.18

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.60 £1.18

27.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.29 £1.70

-16.59%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.94 £2.92

-13.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$9.72 £7.21

88.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$8.85 £6.56

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$13.80 £10.22

36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.19 £2.36

-17.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.64 £1.21

46.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.78 £2.06

-23.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.45 £2.56

-21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.71 £1.26

19.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.49 £1.10

19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.11 £0.82

32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.50 £1.12

-39.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$18.73 £13.88

-62.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$10.82 £8.02

-29.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.82 £2.09

-48.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.21 £2.38

-27.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$3.40 £2.52

-13.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$90.3 £66.9

-67.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.49 £4.07

-17.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.54 £1.14

38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$23.37 £17.32

23.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.95 £1.44

-3.08%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$37.8K £28.0K

3.18%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$41.8K £31.0K

-22.46%

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

$189 €161

$297 £220

-36.34%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$17.40 £12.89

27.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$42.68 £31.62

-14.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$45.48 £33.70

27.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$13.44 £9.96

-18.08%

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

$731 €622

$1,572 £1,165

-53.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$18.3K £13.6K

-19.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$82.2 £60.9

8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$42.70 £31.64

-12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$91.8 £68.1

13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$99.4 £73.6

17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,239 £918

25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$986 £731

23.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$2,000 £1,482

39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,675 £1,241

19.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$6,665 £4,939

7.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$6,116 £4,532

-17.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,954 £2,189

-16.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.63

-39.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,239 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ely, Cambridgeshire pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $90 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $299, with Ely, Cambridgeshire 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 Ely, Cambridgeshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ely, Cambridgeshire differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,291 including rent). Ely, Cambridgeshire is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ely, Cambridgeshire earns 20% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,239 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $1,572 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. 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 $2,291 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ely, Cambridgeshire but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ely, Cambridgeshire 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 Ely, Cambridgeshire 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 Ely, Cambridgeshire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.