Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Salisbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $2,579 in Salisbury, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Salisbury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,579
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Salisbury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,579 in Salisbury.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Salisbury $2,579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $3,592 in Salisbury.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Salisbury $3,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $4,604 in Salisbury.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Salisbury $4,604

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 8% less than in Salisbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Salisbury 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$26.82 £20.12
-33.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$91.0 £68.3
-27.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$12.45 £9.34
9.96%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$4.78 £3.59
-35.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$3.32 £2.49
-7.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.30 £1.72
-15.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$5.96 £4.47
-35.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$4.61 £3.46
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.67 £1.25
-22.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.05 £0.79
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$1.79 £1.34
2.23%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$3.22 £2.42
43.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$9.17 £6.88
89.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$8.49 £6.37
9.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$14.39 £10.79
37.80%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$1.56 £1.17
92.95%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.22 £0.92
66.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$4.10 £3.08
-35.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$4.23 £3.18
-32.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$2.12 £1.59
1.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.08 £0.81
99.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.05 £1.54
-28.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.57 £1.18
-43.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$23.75 £17.82
-70.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$12.02 £9.01
-34.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$3.86 £2.90
-63.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$3.87 £2.90
-32.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
$4.07 £3.05
-28.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
$84.9 £63.7
-69.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$7.00 £5.25
-57.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.69 £1.27
-14.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$21.28 £15.96
56.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.97 £1.48
-5.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$38.8K £29.1K
-16.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$40.6K £30.5K
-21.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$384 £288
-52.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$15.69 £11.77
-13.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$35.71 £26.79
-7.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
$93.0 £69.8
-41.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
$19.81 £14.87
-16.61%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$10.03 £7.53
11.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$1,207 £905
-20.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$5,390 £4,043
208.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$66.5 £49.85
29.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$44.42 £33.32
-11.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$82.6 £61.9
25.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$88.0 £66.0
34.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$1,209 £907
40.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$1,117 £838
14.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$2,033 £1,525
26.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$1,495 £1,122
28.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
$4,815 £3,613
4.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Salisbury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$3,706 £2,781
-39.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.59
-41.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Salisbury: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Salisbury
$1.1K 12.5% $159
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Salisbury
$300 7.8% $25
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Salisbury
$371 37.6% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Salisbury
$435 89.8% $206
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Salisbury
$127 19% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Salisbury
$113 46.5% $36
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Salisbury
$117 146% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $1,209 in Salisbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salisbury pays 66% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $91.0 in Salisbury. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $300, with Salisbury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇬🇧 Salisbury
🕒 Local time
07:22 7:22 AM
06:22 6:22 AM
1 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
45,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Salisbury 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Salisbury

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 Salisbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Salisbury?
Barcelona and Salisbury differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $2,579 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $1,209 in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $1,207 in Salisbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Salisbury pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,579 in Salisbury, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
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 Salisbury safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Salisbury are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Salisbury?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Salisbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?