Cost of Living Comparison Between Harlow and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Harlow and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,513 in Harlow versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,707 in Harlow versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,901 in Harlow versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Harlow is roughly 1% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harlow 83% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.71 £16.06

$18.39 €15.83

18.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 £71.8

$69.2 €59.6

40.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 £7.94

$14.13 €12.16

-24.06%

Cappuccino

$5.91 £4.37

$3.13 €2.70

88.82%

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

$2.73 £2.02

$3.02 €2.60

-9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.96 €1.69

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.00 £5.18

$4.00 €3.44

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 £5.17

$4.76 €4.10

46.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.25 €1.07

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.16 €1.86

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.69 €1.45

-30.77%

Eggs

$2.38 £1.76

$4.93 €4.25

-51.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 £5.02

$17.88 €15.39

-62.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 £4.71

$9.61 €8.27

-33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 £4.96

$19.34 €16.65

-65.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 £1.54

$3.24 €2.79

-35.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$2.18 €1.87

-43.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 £0.84

$2.67 €2.30

-57.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.77 €2.39

-27.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.21 €1.91

-25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.19 €1.88

-39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.52 €1.31

-9.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.12

$0.92 €0.79

65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.92 £16.22

$7.12 €6.13

207.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 £6.90

$8.14 €7.00

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.02

$1.50 €1.29

82.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.78 €2.39

-27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.58

$3.15 €2.71

10.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.0

$26.99 €23.24

250.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 £4.56

$3.25 €2.80

89.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.50 €1.29

11.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.53 £15.93

$34.89 €30.04

-38.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.75 €1.50

11.43%

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

$38.0K £28.1K

$36.7K €31.6K

3.69%

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

$42.0K £31.0K

$30.9K €26.6K

35.62%

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

$257 £190

$188 €162

36.93%

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

$12.25 £9.06

$15.44 €13.29

-20.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 £21.45

$37.80 €32.54

-23.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 £35.58

$57.2 €49.22

-15.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.37 £6.19

$16.80 €14.46

-50.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 £9.44

$11.58 €9.97

10.19%

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

$1,102 £815

$1,003 €863

9.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.1K

$17.0K €14.6K

20.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 £53.1

$89.2 €76.8

-19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.12 £23.02

$40.87 €35.18

-23.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 £59.1

$110 €94.7

-27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.85 £28.74

$123 €106

-68.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 £1,055

$1,673 €1,440

-14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 £990

$1,331 €1,146

0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,337 £1,729

$2,596 €2,234

-9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,232 £1,652

$1,950 €1,679

14.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,317 £3,934

$7,573 €6,519

-29.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,714 £2,748

$5,370 €4,623

-30.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 £2,246

$2,402 €2,068

26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

3.16

55.38%

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

Last update for Harlow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,426 in Harlow and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlow pays 26% 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 Harlow vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $332, with Harlow 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

Harlow vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harlow and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,513 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Harlow, 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: $1,426 in Harlow versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,102 in Harlow versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Harlow pay roughly 55% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,513 in Harlow, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Harlow. 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, Harlow 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 Harlow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.