Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $113 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Gulu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Gulu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $113 in Gulu.

Barcelona $2,381
Gulu $113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $165 in Gulu.

Barcelona $3,406
Gulu $165

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $217 in Gulu.

Barcelona $4,431
Gulu $217

Living in Barcelona is roughly 2011% more expensive than in Gulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Gulu is 92% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$1.22 UGX 5,036

1366.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$10.81 UGX 44.5K

26.64%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.38 UGX 9,787

28.57%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$0.25 UGX 1,032

1128.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.11 UGX 452

1663.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$0.69 UGX 2,844

460.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

85.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$0.95 UGX 3,896

206.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$28.33 UGX 116.5K

-10.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.25 UGX 5,138

48.80%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

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

$183 €163

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

$13.61 €12.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gulu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Gulu

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Gulu

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Gulu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Gulu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Gulu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Gulu

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Gulu

–

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇬 Gulu

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

15:32 3:32 PM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

152,276

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Gulu 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Gulu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gulu differ by about 2011% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $113 including rent). Gulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,571 in Barcelona and $169 in Gulu 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.

A monthly transit pass in Gulu runs roughly 11% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Barcelona versus $113 in Gulu – a 2011% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $113 in Gulu versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gulu 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 Gulu 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 Gulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2011% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.