Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rockhampton Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rockhampton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,826 in Rockhampton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,827 in Rockhampton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,827 in Rockhampton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than Rockhampton, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Rockhampton 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$18.45 A$25.71

-4.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$79.0 A$110

-13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.16 A$12.77

53.49%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.83 A$5.34

-27.42%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.79 A$3.89

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.40 A$3.34

-14.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.20 A$10.03

-38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.82 A$8.10

-20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.74 A$2.43

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.83 A$2.55

10.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.29 A$3.19

-16.16%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.16 A$4.41

4.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.32 A$8.81

191.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.59 A$13.37

-1.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.60 A$20.34

31.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.60 A$3.62

1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$4.28 A$5.96

-42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.48 A$3.45

-14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.25 A$7.31

-45.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.02 A$2.82

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.03 A$2.83

-8.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.62 A$3.65

-43.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.30 A$1.82

-35.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$32.95 A$45.92

-78.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$13.45 A$18.74

-41.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.25 A$4.52

-57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.79 A$8.06

-60.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.61 A$2.24

85.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$58.8 A$81.9

-50.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.30 A$4.60

39.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.62 A$2.26

27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$36.78 A$51.3

-20.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.26 A$1.76

46.03%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.5K A$38.3K

42.03%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.8K A$27.6K

65.25%

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

$188 €162

$196 A$273

-4.11%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$21.79 A$30.36

5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$63.9 A$89.0

-42.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$47.69 A$66.5

20.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$12.87 A$17.94

60.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$12.89 A$17.97

-13.19%

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

$721 €620

$1,611 A$2,245

-55.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,124 A$8,534

145.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$68.5 A$95.4

25.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$55.5 A$77.3

-33.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$132 A$184

-22.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$58.1 A$80.9

99.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$772 A$1,076

98.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$636 A$886

91.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,516 A$2,113

77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,144 A$1,594

76.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,783 A$5,272

-37.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.65

-49.02%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rockhampton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $772 in Rockhampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockhampton pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $79.0 in Rockhampton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $334 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 Rockhampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rockhampton differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,826 including rent). Rockhampton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rockhampton earns 60% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $772 in Rockhampton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,611 in Rockhampton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,826 in Rockhampton versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockhampton but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.