Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Parramatta Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Parramatta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $3,011 in Parramatta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $4,241 in Parramatta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $5,471 in Parramatta.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 18% less than in Parramatta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Parramatta 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$17.99 A$25.08

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$93.1 A$130

-25.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$11.61 A$16.18

21.02%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.21 A$5.87

-26.13%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.30 A$4.60

-10.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.80 A$3.90

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$8.47 A$11.81

-52.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.17 A$10.00

-35.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.69 A$2.36

-21.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.83 A$3.94

-25.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.44 A$3.40

-25.00%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$5.37 A$7.49

-3.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$13.05 A$18.19

34.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$9.57 A$13.34

-0.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$16.19 A$22.58

23.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.81 A$5.31

-16.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$3.09 A$4.30

-28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.52 A$4.91

-25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.20 A$7.25

-45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$3.27 A$4.56

-33.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.56 A$3.57

-17.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.70 A$3.77

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.52 A$2.12

-42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$45.29 A$63.1

-84.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$14.24 A$19.86

-41.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$4.30 A$5.99

-65.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.04 A$5.63

-31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$144 A$201

-81.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.57 A$4.98

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.61 A$2.24

-6.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$41.41 A$57.7

-14.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 A$1.90

28.68%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$31.2K A$43.6K

17.36%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$30.9K A$43.1K

2.49%

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

$187 €161

$223 A$312

-16.26%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$28.43 A$39.63

-46.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$58.3 A$81.3

-35.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$36.27 A$50.6

52.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$20.47 A$28.54

-18.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$16.91 A$23.58

-30.75%

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

$1,011 €871

$2,240 A$3,123

-54.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$21.2K A$29.5K

-19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$81.5 A$114

12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$58.5 A$81.6

-29.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$114 A$159

-2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$134 A$186

-5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,864 A$2,598

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,588 A$2,214

-18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$4,131 A$5,760

-37.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,183 A$3,043

-11.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$4,412 A$6,152

75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$3,490 A$4,866

54.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$4,197 A$5,851

-43.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.84

-45.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,864 in Parramatta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 77% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $93.0 in Parramatta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $392 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 Parramatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Parramatta differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $3,011 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Parramatta. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,864 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $2,240 in Parramatta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Parramatta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Parramatta 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.