Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shrewsbury, Shropshire Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,081 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,994 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,906 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 14% more expensive than Shrewsbury, Shropshire, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Shrewsbury, Shropshire 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$16.40 £12.22

7.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$65.7 £48.97

4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.60 £6.41

63.49%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.25 £3.16

-34.59%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.63 £1.96

6.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.68 £1.25

22.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.51 £4.11

-19.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.51 £4.11

-16.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.69 £1.26

-26.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.80 £1.34

12.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.22 £1.66

-13.51%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.89 £2.90

-14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.10 £6.04

127.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.36 £6.98

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$9.47 £7.05

102.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.32 £1.73

13.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.21 £0.90

102.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.48 £1.85

-14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.20 £0.89

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.40 £1.04

45.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.39 £1.03

33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.00 £0.75

47.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.28 £0.96

-34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$16.77 £12.49

-57.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.27 £6.90

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.45 £1.82

-43.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.49 £2.60

-33.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.58 £1.92

15.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$87.2 £64.9

-66.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.49 £4.09

-16.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.21 £0.90

71.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$24.77 £18.46

17.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.89 £1.41

-2.65%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.1K £24.7K

17.85%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$32.1K £23.9K

1.88%

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

$188 €162

$296 £221

-36.64%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$22.88 £17.05

0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$40.14 £29.90

-8.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$87.6 £65.3

-34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$11.19 £8.34

84.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$13.66 £10.18

-18.08%

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

$721 €621

$1,274 £949

-43.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$16.2K £12.0K

-6.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$61.2 £45.56

40.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$41.58 £30.97

-10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.3 £63.5

19.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$98.3 £73.3

17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,080 £805

42.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$872 £650

39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,610 £1,199

67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,255 £935

60.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,978 £2,964

81.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$3,028 £2,256

71.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,539 £1,891

-7.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.9

-42.54%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shrewsbury, Shropshire: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,080 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shrewsbury, Shropshire pays 8% 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 $66.0 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $258 per month, with Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shrewsbury, Shropshire differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,081 including rent). Shrewsbury, Shropshire is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shrewsbury, Shropshire earns 8% 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 $1,080 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,274 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,081 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shrewsbury, Shropshire but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.