Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lerwick Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lerwick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,275 in Lerwick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,421 in Lerwick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,566 in Lerwick.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 4% more expensive than Lerwick, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Lerwick 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €14.97

$20.71 £15.30

-14.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €57.8

$81.9 £60.6

-16.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.86

$10.08 £7.45

38.49%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.78 £3.53

-42.26%

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

$2.76 €2.34

$2.35 £1.74

17.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.66 £1.23

18.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.84

$6.07 £4.49

-25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.24 £4.61

-27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.65 £1.22

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.66 £1.23

22.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.62

$2.18 £1.61

-12.39%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.88

$3.84 £2.84

-11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.57

$9.72 £7.18

88.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.97

$8.73 £6.45

7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.04

$14.32 £10.59

31.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.07 £2.27

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.62 £1.20

48.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.94 £2.17

-27.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$3.44 £2.54

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.62 £1.20

26.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.51

$1.54 £1.14

15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.06 £0.78

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.47 £1.09

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.96

$18.92 £13.98

-62.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.44

$10.71 £7.91

-29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.81 £2.07

-48.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.20 £2.36

-27.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$3.46 £2.56

-15.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €24.94

$88.2 £65.2

-66.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.84

$5.48 £4.05

-17.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$1.58 £1.17

35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.59

$22.97 £16.97

26.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.96 £1.45

-3.57%

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

$39.0K €33.1K

$37.9K £28.0K

3.09%

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

$32.4K €27.5K

$41.3K £30.5K

-21.47%

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

$189 €160

$301 £222

-37.19%

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

$22.24 €18.88

$17.12 £12.65

29.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.05

$43.41 £32.08

-15.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.26

$46.43 £34.31

24.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.35

$13.47 £9.96

-18.26%

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

$731 €621

$1,600 £1,182

-54.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$18.3K £13.5K

-18.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €75.8

$82.4 £60.9

8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.73

$44.29 £32.73

-15.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €88.8

$91.4 £67.5

14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €98.7

$97.2 £71.8

19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,317

$1,206 £891

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,032

$986 £729

23.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,376

$2,062 £1,524

35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$1,673 £1,236

20.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,080

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,263

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,091

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 Lerwick: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,206 in Lerwick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $82 in Lerwick. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $299, with Lerwick 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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lerwick differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,275 including rent). Lerwick is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,534 in Barcelona and $3,413 in Lerwick 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,206 in Lerwick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $1,600 in Lerwick. 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 $2,275 in Lerwick versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Lerwick but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lerwick 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 Lerwick 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 Lerwick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.