Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macclessfield Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macclessfield

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,347 in Macclessfield.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,280 in Macclessfield.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,213 in Macclessfield.

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Macclessfield; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Macclessfield 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$20.35 £15.08

-13.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$96.1 £71.2

-29.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$9.75 £7.23

43.18%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.73 £3.51

-41.65%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.13 £1.58

29.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.44 £1.07

36.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.76 £5.01

-32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.02 £4.46

-24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.74 £1.29

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.61 £1.19

26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.22 £1.65

-13.96%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.99 £2.96

-15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$11.02 £8.17

66.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$8.93 £6.62

5.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$15.32 £11.35

23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.91 £2.15

-9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.83 £1.36

31.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$3.66 £2.72

-42.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.73 £2.76

-27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.77 £1.31

15.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.89 £1.40

-5.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.21 £0.90

21.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.49 £1.11

-38.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$19.22 £14.24

-63.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$9.43 £6.99

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$3.17 £2.35

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.50 £2.59

-33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.01 £1.49

46.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$88.5 £65.6

-66.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.31 £3.93

-14.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.92 £1.43

11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$16.41 £12.16

76.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.88 £1.39

0.53%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$38.6K £28.6K

1.17%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$37.6K £27.9K

-13.80%

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

$189 €161

$290 £215

-34.90%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$23.05 £17.08

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$42.21 £31.28

-13.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$45.98 £34.07

26.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$6.68 £4.95

218.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$13.34 £9.89

-17.47%

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

$731 €622

$1,647 £1,221

-55.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$16.2K £12.0K

-8.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$90.8 £67.3

-1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$42.43 £31.44

-11.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$87.2 £64.6

19.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$106 £78.8

9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$894 £663

73.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$988 £732

23.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,275 £945

119.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,378 £1,021

45.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$1,359 £1,007

427.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,348 £999

272.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,559 £2,638

-30.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.76

-41.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Macclessfield: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $894 in Macclessfield. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macclessfield pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $96 in Macclessfield. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $314, with Macclessfield 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 Macclessfield: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Macclessfield earns 45% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $894 in Macclessfield. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $1,647 in Macclessfield. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Macclessfield – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,347 in Macclessfield versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macclessfield but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Macclessfield 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 Macclessfield are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Macclessfield wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.