Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Parramatta

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,303 in Parramatta, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Parramatta, Australia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Parramatta
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Parramatta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,303 in Parramatta.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Parramatta $3,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $4,603 in Parramatta.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Parramatta $4,603

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $5,903 in Parramatta.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Parramatta $5,903

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 26% less than in Parramatta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Parramatta 143% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$17.30 A$24.50
1.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$91.0 A$129
-25.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$11.95 A$16.93
13.22%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.95 A$5.59
-19.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$3.17 A$4.49
-8.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$2.56 A$3.62
-26.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$8.55 A$12.11
-53.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$7.43 A$10.53
-39.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.65 A$2.33
-20.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.80 A$3.96
-27.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$2.38 A$3.38
-22.27%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$5.38 A$7.62
-10.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$12.04 A$17.05
39.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$9.56 A$13.54
-4.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$15.42 A$21.85
27.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$4.01 A$5.68
-25.69%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$3.21 A$4.55
-37.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$3.48 A$4.93
-22.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$4.93 A$6.99
-43.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$3.08 A$4.37
-32.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.44 A$3.46
-15.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.56 A$3.62
-42.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.38 A$1.96
-31.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$44.83 A$63.5
-84.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$14.05 A$19.90
-43.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$4.07 A$5.77
-65.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$4.04 A$5.72
-37.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.24 A$3.18
40.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$139 A$197
-81.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$3.46 A$4.91
-13.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.59 A$2.25
-6.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$40.91 A$58.0
-18.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.34 A$1.90
34.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$29.5K A$41.8K
12.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$26.6K A$37.7K
19.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$254 A$360
-29.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$27.25 A$38.60
-49.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$54.9 A$77.7
-38.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$53.9 A$76.3
-4.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$20.01 A$28.35
-20.24%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$15.91 A$22.54
-30.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$2,337 A$3,311
-60.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$20.4K A$28.9K
-19.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$80.0 A$113
8.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$55.8 A$79.1
-31.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$107 A$152
-1.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$127 A$180
-5.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$2,541 A$3,599
-33.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$1,872 A$2,652
-27.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$3,737 A$5,294
-30.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$2,728 A$3,864
-24.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$4,197 A$5,945
64.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$3,358 A$4,757
52.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Parramatta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$4,034 A$5,715
-45.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.92
-44.59%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Parramatta
$1.9K 38.1% $517
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Parramatta
$381 18.4% $59
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Parramatta
$302 12.8% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Parramatta
$336 47.5% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Parramatta
$166 5.4% $8.5
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Parramatta
$86 16.6% $12
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Parramatta
$160 229% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $2,541 in Parramatta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 82% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $91 in Parramatta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $381 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇦🇺 Parramatta
🕒 Local time
02:55 2:55 AM
12:55 12:55 PM
10 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
19,745
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.634 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Parramatta 17,160 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Parramatta

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 Parramatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Parramatta?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $3,303 in Parramatta, so Barcelona is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 45% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Parramatta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $2,541 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Parramatta?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $2,337 in Parramatta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Parramatta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,303 in Parramatta, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Parramatta. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Parramatta?
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.
Is Barcelona or Parramatta safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Parramatta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Parramatta?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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