Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Leicester Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Leicester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,191 in Leicester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,129 in Leicester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,068 in Leicester.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than in Leicester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Leicester 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$22.58 £16.91

-17.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$67.8 £50.7

2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$9.28 £6.95

48.38%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.99 £3.74

-37.88%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.36 £1.77

19.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.40 £1.05

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$6.57 £4.92

-39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.29 £3.96

-14.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.75 £1.31

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.62 £1.21

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.28 £1.71

-22.81%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.99 £2.99

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$10.16 £7.61

75.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.08 £6.80

6.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$14.59 £10.92

38.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.91 £2.18

11.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.49 £1.11

49.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.63 £1.97

-1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.64 £2.73

-24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.59 £1.19

38.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.58 £1.18

34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.19 £0.89

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.55 £1.16

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$20.75 £15.53

-64.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.08 £8.29

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.52 £1.88

-38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.23 £2.41

-13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.94 £2.95

-21.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$102 £76.1

-74.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$5.04 £3.78

-35.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$4.15 £3.11

-64.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.98 £1.48

-12.63%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$38.4K £28.7K

-5.19%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$42.0K £31.4K

-27.22%

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

$187 €163

$313 £234

-40.23%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$16.43 £12.30

-7.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$44.45 £33.28

-15.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$32.94 £24.66

69.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$26.66 £19.96

-35.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$12.03 £9.01

-5.15%

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

$997 €868

$1,274 £954

-21.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$27.3K £20.5K

-39.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$84.8 £63.5

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$43.20 £32.34

-4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$110 £82.5

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$108 £81.2

15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$1,017 £762

67.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$876 £656

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,786 £1,337

43.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$1,266 £948

53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$5,157 £3,861

48.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$3,538 £2,649

46.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$2,929 £2,193

-19.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33

-40.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Leicester: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,017 in Leicester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leicester pays 25% 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 $68.0 in Leicester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $303 per month, with Leicester 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 Leicester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Leicester differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,191 including rent). Leicester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Leicester. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,017 in Leicester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,274 in Leicester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,191 in Leicester versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leicester but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Leicester 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 Leicester 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 Leicester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.