Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ipswich, Australia

Name: Ipswich
Address: Ipswich, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipswich: $2,055 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ipswich

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 Ipswich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,055 in Ipswich.

Barcelona $2,453
Ipswich $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,914 in Ipswich.

Barcelona $3,509
Ipswich $2,914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,773 in Ipswich.

Barcelona $4,564
Ipswich $3,773

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Ipswich 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$32.17 A$45.75

-45.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$75.7 A$108

-10.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$10.05 A$14.30

34.63%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$4.60 A$6.54

-30.65%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$3.76 A$5.35

-22.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.43 A$3.46

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$9.24 A$13.14

-56.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$7.67 A$10.91

-40.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.49 A$3.55

-47.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.41 A$3.43

-16.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.26 A$3.22

-18.14%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$7.19 A$10.22

-32.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$7.19 A$10.23

132.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$8.65 A$12.30

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$13.77 A$19.58

42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.33 A$4.74

-10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.70 A$3.84

-25.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$2.75 A$3.91

-1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$3.79 A$5.39

-26.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.00 A$2.84

4.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.06 A$2.94

0.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.44 A$3.46

-40.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.70 A$2.42

-44.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$44.66 A$63.5

-84.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$21.65 A$30.80

-63.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$6.39 A$9.09

-77.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$7.16 A$10.19

-64.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$0.34 A$0.48

823.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$2.19 A$3.11

36.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.64 A$2.34

-9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$35.81 A$50.9

-6.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.42 A$2.02

26.76%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

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

$31.7K €28.4K

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

$180 €162

$91.8 A$131

96.61%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$31.51 A$44.82

-56.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$62.6 A$89.1

-46.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$17.21 A$24.47

199.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

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

$917 €821

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$1,045 A$1,486

62.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$1,025 A$1,458

32.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$1,403 A$1,995

85.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$1,381 A$1,964

49.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$4,151 A$5,904

-46.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.98

-45.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Ipswich

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Ipswich

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Ipswich

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Ipswich

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Ipswich

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Ipswich

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Ipswich

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,045 in Ipswich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $76 in Ipswich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $386 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

14:38 2:38 PM

9 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

229,208

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Ipswich 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Ipswich

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,055 in Ipswich, so Ipswich is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,045 in Ipswich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $76 in Ipswich. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $2,055 in Ipswich – Ipswich is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.