Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Retford Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Retford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,159 in Retford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,360 in Retford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,560 in Retford.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 115% more expensive than in Retford, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Retford is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$15.17 £11.22

21.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.6

$66.7 £49.37

3.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$7.35 £5.44

92.24%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.11 £3.04

-23.84%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$1.82 £1.35

65.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.84 £1.36

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.38 £3.24

-8.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.32 £3.20

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.84 £1.36

-32.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.92 £1.42

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.40 £1.03

20.71%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$4.86 £3.59

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$11.40 £8.43

56.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$4.19 £3.10

129.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.65

$12.76 £9.44

51.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.38 £1.02

134.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.37 £1.01

59.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.35 £1.00

97.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.73 £1.28

60.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.46 £1.08

51.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.56 £1.15

40.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.42 £0.31

261.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.60 £1.19

-42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$23.60 £17.46

-69.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$7.96 £5.89

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.72 £1.27

-12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.09 £1.54

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.76 £2.04

14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$13.64 £10.09

-76.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.99 £2.95

-62.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.07 £1.53

-15.46%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$40.4K £29.9K

-9.37%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$44.4K £32.9K

-30.39%

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

$188 €162

$353 £261

-46.81%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$28.89 £21.38

-46.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.54

$47.34 £35.02

-20.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.22

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.46

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.97

$16.50 £12.21

-29.82%

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

$1,003 €863

$1,986 £1,469

-49.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$24.6K £18.2K

-30.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$87.5 £64.7

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.18

$61.4 £45.46

-33.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.7

$112 £83.0

-2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$160 £118

-23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,146 £847

126.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,679

$1,100 £814

77.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,519

$2,197 £1,626

244.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,623

$2,039 £1,508

163.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,068

$1,746 £1,292

37.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.3

-40.38%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 38% 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 $67.0 in Retford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $242 per month, with Retford 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 Retford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Retford differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,159 including rent). Retford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $1,986 in Retford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Retford – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,159 in Retford versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Retford but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Retford 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 Retford 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 Retford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.