Cost of Living Comparison Between Dun Laoghaire and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Dun Laoghaire and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Dun Laoghaire versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,451 in Dun Laoghaire versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,049 in Dun Laoghaire versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Dun Laoghaire is roughly 22% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dun Laoghaire 112% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.36 €15.82

$17.08 €14.72

7.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 €81.5

$69.2 €59.7

36.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.06

$13.78 €11.87

-23.73%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.59

$2.76 €2.37

51.09%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$2.79 €2.40

-15.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.99 €1.72

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 €6.71

$4.36 €3.76

78.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 €5.82

$4.74 €4.09

42.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.29 €1.11

34.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.05 €1.77

9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.99 €1.71

1.01%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.44

$3.39 €2.92

17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 €10.96

$18.81 €16.21

-32.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 €8.88

$9.36 €8.07

10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 €10.36

$19.12 €16.48

-37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.70 €2.32

10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.34 €2.02

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.12 €1.83

32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.05

$2.85 €2.46

24.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.97 €1.70

-30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.80 €1.55

-20.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.45 €1.25

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.86 €0.74

90.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.71 €16.12

$6.78 €5.84

175.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 €11.82

$7.90 €6.81

73.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.06

$1.39 €1.20

156.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.45

$2.37 €2.04

68.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.92 €2.52

-30.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 €59.8

$28.69 €24.72

142.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 €4.32

$4.46 €3.84

12.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.05 €1.77

-35.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.02 €33.62

$29.55 €25.46

32.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.82 €1.56

9.89%

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

$42.8K €36.9K

$38.8K €33.5K

10.18%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$33.1K €28.5K

16.14%

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

$282 €243

$189 €163

49.01%

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

$21.26 €18.32

$22.80 €19.65

-6.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 €49.87

$37.59 €32.39

53.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 €35.46

$57.7 €49.75

-28.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 €12.12

$10.82 €9.33

30.04%

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

$1,076 €927

$728 €628

47.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,418 €7,253

$14.8K €12.7K

-43.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.3

$88.6 €76.4

14.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.30 €34.72

$36.85 €31.75

9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.2

$102 €87.9

-2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €111

$116 €100

11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 €1,353

$1,569 €1,352

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 €1,329

$1,218 €1,050

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,815 €3,287

$2,795 €2,409

36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,303 €2,846

$1,975 €1,702

67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,049 €3,488

$7,754 €6,680

-47.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,758 €2,376

$5,176 €4,460

-46.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,431 €3,818

$2,343 €2,019

89.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.39

32.74%

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

Last update for Dun Laoghaire: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,570 in Dun Laoghaire and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dun Laoghaire pays 89% 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: $95.0 in Dun Laoghaire vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $319 per month, with Barcelona 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

Dun Laoghaire vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dun Laoghaire and Barcelona differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dun Laoghaire pays 89% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,570 in Dun Laoghaire versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,076 in Dun Laoghaire versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Dun Laoghaire. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Dun Laoghaire 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.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Dun Laoghaire. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.