Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,405 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Selfoss

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $3,460 in Selfoss.

Barcelona $2,405
Selfoss $3,460

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,461 in Selfoss.

Barcelona $3,477
Selfoss $2,461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $1,462 in Selfoss.

Barcelona $4,550
Selfoss $1,462

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 31% less than in Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 79% above, Selfoss 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.05

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$20.81 ISK 2,538

-35.75%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

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

$2.95 €2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

$12.20 ISK 1,488

-68.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.79 ISK 219

-29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$7.61 ISK 928

-74.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$4.46 ISK 544

-60.76%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$6.56 ISK 800

-25.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.59

$17.24 ISK 2,103

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$21.77 ISK 2,655

-58.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$33.50 ISK 4,085

-39.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.72 ISK 332

13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.75 ISK 335

-26.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.65 ISK 324

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$7.51 ISK 916

-63.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$3.21 ISK 391

-33.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.18 ISK 266

1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$3.60 ISK 439

-57.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.44 ISK 175

-35.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$15.97 ISK 1,947

-55.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.17 ISK 143

133.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.13

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

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

$34.7K €31.0K

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

$30.3K €27.0K

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

$181 €161

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

$13.56 €12.10

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

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

$939 €838

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$2,820 ISK 343.9K

-53.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,299

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,636

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

2 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

9,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Selfoss 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Selfoss differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $3,460 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,607 in Barcelona and $5,190 in Selfoss to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,405 per month in Barcelona versus $3,460 in Selfoss – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,405 in Barcelona versus $3,460 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Selfoss 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.