Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnsley and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnsley: $1,888 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barnsley
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,888
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barnsley and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barnsley and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,888 in Barnsley versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Barnsley $1,888
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Barnsley versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Barnsley $2,833
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Barnsley versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Barnsley $3,778
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Barnsley costs roughly 21% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnsley 40% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.07 £18.06
$17.94 €15.96
34.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.4 £61.8
$68.1 €60.5
21.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 £7.99
$13.28 €11.81
-19.80%
Cappuccino
$4.85 £3.64
$3.25 €2.89
49.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 £1.79
$3.01 €2.67
-20.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 £1.22
$1.87 €1.66
-12.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.04 £4.53
$3.85 €3.42
56.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.43 £4.83
$4.48 €3.98
43.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.29 €1.15
27.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 £1.44
$2.04 €1.81
-5.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 £1.48
$1.72 €1.53
14.53%
Eggs
$4.01 £3.01
$4.77 €4.24
-15.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.78 £6.58
$16.77 €14.92
-47.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 £6.45
$8.93 €7.94
-3.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.16 £10.63
$19.88 €17.68
-28.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 £2.20
$2.98 €2.65
-1.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 £1.44
$2.03 €1.80
-5.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 £1.95
$2.73 €2.43
-4.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.97 £2.23
$2.68 €2.38
10.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 £1.42
$2.10 €1.87
-9.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 £1.18
$2.08 €1.85
-24.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 £1.09
$1.45 €1.29
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 £1.05
$0.89 €0.79
57.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.00 £17.26
$6.94 €6.17
231.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.29 £8.47
$7.78 €6.92
45.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 £2.45
$1.45 €1.29
124.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.57 €2.29
23.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 £2.00
$2.99 €2.66
-11.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$25.20 €22.41
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 £3.98
$3.12 €2.77
69.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.44 €1.28
-5.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.40 £14.55
$33.50 €29.80
-42.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.50
$1.79 €1.59
11.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$34.6K €30.8K
12.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K £30.5K
$30.1K €26.7K
35.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$279 £210
$178 €158
57.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.47 £15.36
$13.32 €11.85
53.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.62 £31.97
$34.88 €31.03
22.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.7 £50.0
$53.3 €47.37
25.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.01 €14.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.38 £9.29
$11.06 €9.84
11.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,468 £1,101
$957 €851
53.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K £12.2K
$16.6K €14.7K
-1.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 £44.84
$88.2 €78.4
-32.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.99 £30.76
$39.49 €35.12
3.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 £68.9
$103 €91.5
-10.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 £58.8
$121 €108
-35.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$900 £675
$1,653 €1,470
-45.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$668 £501
$1,302 €1,158
-48.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,364 £1,023
$2,557 €2,275
-46.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 £834
$1,915 €1,703
-41.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,286 €6,481
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,080 €4,519
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barnsley
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,967 £2,226
$2,281 €2,029
30.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.61
3.28
71.04%

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

Last update for Barnsley: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barnsley
$668
Barcelona
$1.3K 94.8% $634
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barnsley
$342
Barcelona
$226 34% $116
Eating Out
Barnsley
$342
Barcelona
$270 21% $72
Groceries & Markets
Barnsley
$300
Barcelona
$320 6.9% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Barnsley
$122
Barcelona
$158 29.9% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Barnsley
$91
Barcelona
$75 17.6% $16
Getting Around
Barnsley
$23 *
Barcelona
$47 108% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Barnsley and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnsley pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Barnsley vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $320, with Barnsley cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Barnsley
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
23:36 11:36 PM
00:36 12:36 AM
1 h ahead of Barnsley
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
245,199
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barnsley Barcelona 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barnsley
  • Barcelona

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
Barnsley vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barnsley and in Barcelona?
Barnsley and Barcelona differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,888 vs $2,399 including rent). Barnsley is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barnsley or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 30% higher in Barnsley, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barnsley and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Barnsley versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barnsley and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $1,468 in Barnsley versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Barnsley – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,888 in Barnsley versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Barnsley but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barnsley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barnsley and Barcelona?
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.
Is Barnsley or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barnsley and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barnsley or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Barnsley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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