Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ipswich Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ipswich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,119 in Ipswich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,036 in Ipswich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,952 in Ipswich.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 10% more expensive than Ipswich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Ipswich 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$16.28 A$22.79

8.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$78.4 A$110

-12.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.79 A$13.71

40.45%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.40 A$4.75

-18.82%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.50 A$3.50

11.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.13 A$2.98

-3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$6.43 A$9.01

-28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.33 A$10.26

-37.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.45 A$2.03

-11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.33 A$3.27

-9.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.02 A$2.83

-2.48%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$4.43 A$6.20

-22.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.36 A$11.71

125.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$8.39 A$11.74

12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.57 A$19.00

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.33 A$4.66

-18.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.75 A$3.85

-13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$3.01 A$4.21

-30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.04 A$5.66

-31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.49 A$3.48

-20.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.15 A$3.01

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.15 A$3.01

-29.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.53 A$2.15

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$40.12 A$56.2

-83.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$22.51 A$31.52

-66.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$4.50 A$6.30

-68.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$5.44 A$7.61

-55.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.62 A$3.67

15.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$64.3 A$90.1

-55.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.07 A$2.90

114.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.38 A$1.93

48.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$33.53 A$46.94

-12.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.19 A$1.67

58.82%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$29.1K A$40.8K

33.01%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$22.5K A$31.5K

43.91%

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

$189 €161

$186 A$261

1.14%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$29.28 A$41.00

-24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$52.7 A$73.8

-30.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$48.11 A$67.4

20.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$15.50 A$21.70

35.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.07 A$18.30

-15.46%

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

$726 €622

$1,608 A$2,251

-54.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$12.0K A$16.8K

27.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$69.1 A$96.7

27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$50.4 A$70.6

-26.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$101 A$141

1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$106 A$149

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$970 A$1,358

57.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$960 A$1,344

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,307 A$1,829

113.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,304 A$1,826

55.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$6,096 A$8,534

16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$5,383 A$7,537

-9.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$4,346 A$6,085

-44.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $970 in Ipswich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 81% 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 $78.0 in Ipswich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $354 per month, with Barcelona 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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ipswich differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,119 including rent). Ipswich is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ipswich earns 81% 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 $970 in Ipswich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $1,608 in Ipswich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,119 in Ipswich versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ipswich but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ipswich 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 Ipswich 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 Ipswich gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.