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: $2,885 in Dun Laoghaire versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,491 in Dun Laoghaire versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,097 in Dun Laoghaire versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dun Laoghaire 117% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 €15.82

$17.15 €14.86

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 €82.3

$68.1 €58.9

39.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.98

$13.64 €11.82

-23.97%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.68

$2.78 €2.41

52.88%

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

$2.44 €2.11

$2.82 €2.44

-13.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.96 €1.70

-17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 €6.44

$4.43 €3.84

67.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 €6.09

$4.61 €3.99

52.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.27 €1.10

33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.13 €1.85

6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.99 €1.72

5.53%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.39

$3.37 €2.92

16.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €10.90

$18.96 €16.42

-33.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 €9.08

$9.53 €8.26

10.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 €10.15

$18.73 €16.22

-37.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.65 €2.29

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$2.35 €2.04

-14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.09 €1.81

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.06

$2.73 €2.37

29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.96 €1.70

-26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.81 €1.56

-21.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.51 €1.31

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.38

$0.89 €0.77

78.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.41 €16.81

$6.78 €5.87

186.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 €11.74

$7.92 €6.86

71.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.05

$1.37 €1.19

156.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.38

$2.40 €2.08

62.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.91 €2.52

-29.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 €60.2

$28.66 €24.82

142.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 €4.32

$4.58 €3.96

8.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.16

$2.04 €1.77

-34.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.37 €33.23

$28.72 €24.87

33.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.82 €1.58

8.24%

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

$43.2K €37.4K

$39.3K €34.0K

9.95%

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

$38.5K €33.4K

$32.5K €28.1K

18.67%

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

$279 €241

$187 €162

49.30%

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

$21.76 €18.84

$22.29 €19.30

-2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 €49.47

$36.37 €31.50

57.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 €36.04

$57.5 €49.82

-27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 €11.94

$10.77 €9.33

28.04%

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

$1,052 €911

$725 €628

45.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,539 €7,395

$15.2K €13.1K

-43.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.2

$87.9 €76.1

15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 €34.16

$36.81 €31.88

7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$103 €89.6

-2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$119 €103

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 €1,331

$1,524 €1,319

0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,315

$1,227 €1,062

23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,727 €3,227

$2,727 €2,362

36.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,212 €2,782

$1,984 €1,718

61.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,802 €3,292

$7,469 €6,468

-49.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,453 €3,857

$2,393 €2,072

86.14%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,537 in Dun Laoghaire and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dun Laoghaire pays 86% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 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 ($2,885 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% higher in Dun Laoghaire, 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: $1,537 in Dun Laoghaire versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,052 in Dun Laoghaire versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Dun Laoghaire. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,885 in Dun Laoghaire, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Dun Laoghaire. 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, 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.