Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shimla Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shimla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $332 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $532 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $732 in Shimla.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 611% more expensive than in Shimla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shimla is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$1.77 ₹169

868.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$5.84 ₹557

1065.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.51 ₹335

288.60%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.00 ₹95.5

178.00%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.34 ₹32.46

729.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.16 ₹15.70

1125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.58 ₹151

180.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.35 ₹224

96.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.73 ₹70.0

73.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.45 ₹42.80

373.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.62 ₹59.1

220.97%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$0.92 ₹88.1

266.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$4.31 ₹411

339.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.59 ₹343

165.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.93 ₹184

37.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.69 ₹65.8

240.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.79 ₹75.8

164.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.56 ₹53.2

387.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.38 ₹36.01

415.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.43 ₹41.13

320.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.24 ₹22.92

529.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.37 ₹34.95

140.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.46 ₹426

52.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.98 ₹665

13.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.78 ₹170

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.25 ₹215

6.67%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.68 ₹542

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.24 ₹22.99

1112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$8.93 ₹852

220.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.83 ₹78.9

451.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$1.18 ₹113

2333.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.18 ₹113

54.24%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

160.92%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

61.96%

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

$187 €162

$19.55 ₹1,864

854.63%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$3.54 ₹338

529.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$7.68 ₹733

373.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$14.43 ₹1,376

298.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$7.10 ₹677

192.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$3.46 ₹330

211.27%

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

$725 €628

$45.25 ₹4,315

1501.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$2,380 ₹227.0K

536.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$33.95 ₹3,238

158.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$28.04 ₹2,675

31.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$47.40 ₹4,521

118.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$29.42 ₹2,806

302.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$96.7 ₹9,225

1475.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$58.7 ₹5,594

1991.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$225 ₹21.4K

1113.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$138 ₹13.2K

1333.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$980 ₹93.4K

662.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$525 ₹50.1K

897.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$554 ₹52.8K

332.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.25

-58.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shimla: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $96.7 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 332% 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 $6.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $103 per month, with Shimla 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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shimla differ by about 611% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $332 including rent). Shimla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 332% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $96.7 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $45.25 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 209% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $332 in Shimla versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shimla but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shimla 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 Shimla 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 Shimla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 611% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.