Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Exeter versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Exeter versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Exeter versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Exeter is roughly 1% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Exeter 83% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 £14.86

$18.74 €16.22

7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 £73.3

$69.5 €60.1

42.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 £6.94

$13.77 €11.92

-31.95%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.76

$3.10 €2.68

63.87%

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

$3.15 £2.33

$2.83 €2.45

11.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.80

$1.88 €1.63

29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 £5.35

$3.98 €3.45

81.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$4.53 €3.92

38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.27 €1.10

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.16 €1.87

-23.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.76 €1.52

-1.14%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.24

$5.13 €4.44

-14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 £6.65

$17.88 €15.48

-49.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.64

$9.65 €8.36

-7.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.15 £17.89

$20.15 €17.44

19.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 £2.25

$3.25 €2.82

-6.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.23 €1.93

-34.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.60 €2.25

1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.76 €2.39

14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$2.21 €1.91

4.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$2.12 €1.83

-7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.55 €1.34

4.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.95 €0.83

98.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.38 £18.06

$7.34 €6.36

232.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 £6.85

$8.05 €6.97

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.69

$1.54 €1.34

135.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 £3.26

$2.79 €2.42

58.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.93

$3.11 €2.69

27.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £79.2

$25.86 €22.39

313.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 £4.30

$3.27 €2.83

77.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 £1.89

$1.48 €1.28

72.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 £17.89

$34.27 €29.67

-29.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.73 €1.50

16.18%

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

$39.5K £29.3K

$36.4K €31.5K

8.70%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$30.5K €26.4K

34.96%

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

$475 £352

$187 €162

153.76%

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

$15.89 £11.77

$15.14 €13.11

4.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.57 £34.49

$37.69 €32.62

23.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 £32.93

$55.9 €48.43

-20.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.39 £9.92

$17.08 €14.79

-21.60%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.53

$11.41 €9.88

12.80%

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

$1,470 £1,089

$997 €863

47.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K £13.1K

$16.5K €14.3K

7.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 £50.9

$92.6 €80.2

-25.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.74 £23.51

$41.22 €35.69

-23.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.0

$111 €96.3

-7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.1

$125 €108

-12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £871

$1,707 €1,478

-31.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £690

$1,286 €1,113

-27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 £1,871

$2,565 €2,221

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 £1,551

$1,942 €1,681

7.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,439 £4,029

$7,647 €6,620

-28.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,608 £4,895

$5,167 €4,473

27.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 £2,309

$2,348 €2,033

32.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

3.16

61.71%

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

Last update for Exeter: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,176 in Exeter and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 33% 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: $99.0 in Exeter vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $336, with Exeter 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

Exeter vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,505 vs $2,476 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Exeter, 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: $1,176 in Exeter versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,470 in Exeter versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Exeter. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,505 in Exeter, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Exeter. 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, Exeter 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 1% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.