Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wigan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wigan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,975 in Wigan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,153 in Wigan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $4,332 in Wigan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 21% more expensive than Wigan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Wigan 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$20.18 £15.03

-12.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$80.9 £60.3

-13.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.99 £7.44

36.74%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$4.01 £2.99

-31.67%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.34 £1.74

19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.33 £0.99

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.85 £4.35

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$5.27 £3.92

-13.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.55 £1.15

-16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.66 £1.23

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.33 £0.99

48.87%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.12 £3.07

-17.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$5.58 £4.15

234.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$5.94 £4.42

60.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$7.83 £5.83

140.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.49 £1.11

84.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.78 £1.33

38.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$3.19 £2.38

-34.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.73 £2.78

-24.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.74 £1.30

16.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.00 £1.49

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.45 £1.08

4.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.91 £1.42

-52.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$18.51 £13.79

-61.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$9.46 £7.05

-15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.75 £2.05

-48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.96 £1.46

16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$3.39 £2.53

-15.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$88.5 £65.9

-67.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$6.46 £4.81

-32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.40 £1.04

52.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$16.28 £12.13

79.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.90 £1.42

-2.11%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.4K £28.6K

1.42%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$43.6K £32.5K

-25.04%

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

$189 €163

$297 £221

-36.29%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$16.54 £12.32

37.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$38.05 £28.34

-4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$46.53 £34.65

23.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$13.16 £9.80

-17.86%

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

$726 €625

$1,578 £1,175

-53.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$6,764 £5,037

123.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$80.9 £60.2

8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$44.21 £32.93

-16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$87.2 £65.0

18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$71.8 £53.4

62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$1,203 £896

30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$778 £579

56.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,997 £1,488

35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$1,666 £1,241

18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$2,751 £2,049

-13.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.6

-39.46%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Wigan: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,203 in Wigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wigan pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $81.0 in Wigan. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $248, with Wigan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Wigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Wigan differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,975 including rent). Wigan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Wigan earns 16% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,203 in Wigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $1,578 in Wigan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,975 in Wigan versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wigan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Wigan 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 Wigan 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 Wigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.