Comparación del coste de vida entre Cambridge y Barcelona Comparación del coste de vida entre Cambridge y Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,101 in Cambridge versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,435 in Cambridge versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,770 in Cambridge versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 32% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 132% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.75 £19.82
$17.61 €15.08
51.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.7 £71.7
$68.7 €58.8
40.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.01 £8.16
$13.75 €11.77
-19.93%
Cappuccino
$4.84 £3.59
$2.76 €2.36
75.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 £2.10
$2.78 €2.38
2.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 £1.48
$2.05 €1.75
-2.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 £5.98
$4.61 €3.94
74.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.90 £5.85
$4.59 €3.93
72.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 £1.43
$1.28 €1.10
50.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 £1.68
$2.11 €1.81
7.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 £2.08
$1.97 €1.69
42.13%
Eggs
$4.68 £3.47
$3.44 €2.95
36.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.54 £9.29
$18.83 €16.12
-33.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 £7.41
$9.45 €8.09
5.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.86 £13.24
$19.01 €16.27
-6.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 £2.36
$2.72 €2.33
17.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 £1.41
$2.37 €2.03
-19.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.65 £2.70
$2.08 €1.78
75.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.51 £2.60
$2.76 €2.36
27.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 £1.40
$1.97 €1.69
-4.06%
Onion (1kg)
$2.03 £1.50
$1.79 €1.53
13.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 £1.03
$1.51 €1.29
-7.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 £1.14
$0.90 €0.77
70.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.56 £15.24
$6.76 €5.79
204.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.39 £8.44
$7.55 €6.46
50.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.53 £2.61
$1.44 €1.23
145.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 £3.05
$2.41 €2.06
70.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 £2.03
$3.03 €2.59
-9.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.3 £59.5
$28.39 €24.30
182.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.84 £5.07
$4.43 €3.79
54.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.48 £1.83
$2.05 €1.76
20.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$55.1 £40.82
$29.33 €25.11
87.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.45
$1.89 €1.62
3.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £28.8K
$38.7K €33.2K
0.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.5K £32.2K
$32.4K €27.7K
34.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$342 £254
$189 €161
81.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.86 £11.76
$22.21 €19.01
-28.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.10 £28.97
$36.82 €31.52
6.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.3 £54.3
$58.0 €49.64
26.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.40 £10.67
$20.99 €17.97
-31.40%
Cinema Ticket
$16.03 £11.88
$11.05 €9.46
45.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,284 £1,692
$726 €622
214.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.3K £17.3K
$15.2K €13.0K
53.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.5 £63.3
$88.3 €75.6
-3.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.8 £42.07
$36.98 €31.66
53.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 £64.5
$103 €87.8
-15.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 £91.9
$119 €102
4.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,939 £1,437
$1,526 €1,307
27.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 £1,201
$1,218 €1,043
33.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,641 £2,698
$2,794 €2,392
30.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,553 £1,891
$2,027 €1,735
25.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,310 £6,899
$7,094 €6,073
31.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,309 £4,675
$4,849 €4,151
30.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cambridge
Barcelona
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,098 £3,037
$2,404 €2,058
70.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.54
3.39
63.42%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Cambridge: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,939 in Cambridge and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 70% 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: $97.0 in Cambridge vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Cambridge vs Barcelona: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
What is the total cost difference between living in Cambridge and Barcelona?
Cambridge and Barcelona differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($3,101 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Cambridge or Barcelona?
Cambridge pays 70% more on average, 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 Cambridge and Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,939 in Cambridge versus $1,526 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 Cambridge and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $2,284 in Cambridge versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,101 in Cambridge, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cambridge 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 Cambridge or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cambridge 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: Cambridge or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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