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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,268 in Retford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,360 in Retford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,452 in Retford.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Retford 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$20.14 £15.10

-12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$82.4 £61.8

-16.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$10.19 £7.64

37.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.62 £3.47

-39.83%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$2.27 £1.70

23.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.60 £1.20

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$6.23 £4.67

-28.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$6.28 £4.71

-26.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.64 £1.23

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.67 £1.25

21.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.21 £1.66

-13.12%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$3.99 £2.99

-17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$10.10 £7.58

82.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$8.67 £6.50

9.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$14.09 £10.57

35.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$3.10 £2.32

-14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.62 £1.22

51.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.79 £2.09

-24.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$3.47 £2.60

-17.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.62 £1.21

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.53 £1.14

20.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.06 £0.80

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.53 £1.15

-45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$18.70 £14.02

-61.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$10.89 £8.17

-27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.71 £2.04

-49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.16 £2.37

-26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$3.30 £2.48

-9.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$89.7 £67.3

-67.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$5.36 £4.02

-14.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.51 £1.13

37.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$23.23 £17.42

25.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.88 £1.41

-2.13%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$39.2K £29.4K

-0.39%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$41.9K £31.4K

-21.91%

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

$188 €163

$298 £223

-36.90%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$17.07 £12.80

34.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$43.14 £32.35

-14.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$45.16 £33.86

27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$13.38 £10.03

-16.37%

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

$721 €625

$1,594 £1,196

-54.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$18.5K £13.9K

-18.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$82.4 £61.8

4.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$43.12 £32.33

-14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$93.4 £70.0

9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$97.9 £73.4

18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$1,247 £935

23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$1,006 £755

21.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$2,034 £1,525

32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$1,699 £1,274

18.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$5,177 £3,882

39.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$2,017 £1,512

157.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$1,342 £1,006

75.77%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Retford: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,247 in Retford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Retford. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $300, with Retford 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 Retford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Retford differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,268 including rent). Retford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 76% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,247 in Retford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,594 in Retford. 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 $2,268 in Retford versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 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 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.