Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Swindon Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Swindon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,488 in Swindon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,537 in Swindon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,586 in Swindon.

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Swindon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Swindon 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$20.71 £15.47

-9.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$63.3 £47.27

9.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.97 £8.20

25.52%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.96 £3.70

-37.50%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.72 £2.03

4.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.63 £1.22

15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.50 £4.11

-27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.66 £3.48

-2.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.57 £1.17

-19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.75 £1.30

23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.85 £1.38

-4.86%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.41 £3.30

16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.45 £6.32

111.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.96 £6.69

7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.12 £9.81

53.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.03 £2.26

7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.84 £1.37

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.63 £1.97

-1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.22 £3.15

-34.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.08 £1.56

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.49 £1.11

42.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.30 £0.97

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.81 £1.35

-47.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$23.31 £17.42

-68.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.60 £7.92

-24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.81 £2.10

-45.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.58 £2.67

-22.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.26 £2.44

-4.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$91.7 £68.6

-71.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.45 £2.58

-5.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.64 £1.22

-9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$22.00 £16.44

55.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.06 £1.54

-16.02%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$38.8K £29.0K

-6.33%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$40.6K £30.3K

-24.75%

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

$187 €163

$324 £242

-42.23%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$16.38 £12.24

-7.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$39.69 £29.66

-5.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$37.74 £28.20

48.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$23.28 £17.40

-26.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$14.09 £10.53

-19.02%

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

$997 €869

$1,236 £924

-19.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,579 £4,169

196.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$89.8 £67.1

3.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$45.05 £33.66

-8.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$84.9 £63.5

30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$88.8 £66.3

40.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,238 £925

37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,129 £844

13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,926 £1,439

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,781 £1,331

9.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,656 £1,984

187.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$3,146 £2,351

64.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,988 £2,233

-21.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.87

-35.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Swindon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,238 in Swindon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swindon pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $63.0 in Swindon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $304 per month, with Swindon 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 Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Swindon. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,238 in Swindon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,236 in Swindon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $63.0 in Swindon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,488 in Swindon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Swindon. 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 Swindon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Swindon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.