Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,005 in Ilford versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,949 in Ilford versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,893 in Ilford versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Ilford is roughly 27% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilford 124% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 £15.30

$17.58 €15.12

17.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$68.4 €58.9

29.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 £7.96

$14.06 €12.09

-23.90%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.48

$2.78 €2.39

68.35%

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

$1.51 £1.13

$2.80 €2.41

-46.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 £0.81

$2.06 €1.78

-47.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 £3.93

$4.46 €3.84

18.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 £4.67

$4.61 €3.96

36.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.24 €1.07

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.03 €1.74

-30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.92 €1.65

13.02%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$3.31 €2.85

9.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 £6.20

$18.43 €15.85

-54.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 £6.27

$9.49 €8.16

-11.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 £9.90

$19.16 €16.48

-30.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.64 €2.27

22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$2.45 €2.11

-36.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.12 €1.82

35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$2.85 €2.45

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$2.04 €1.75

-14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.85 €1.59

-18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.47 €1.26

-12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.04

$0.84 €0.73

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.45 £15.20

$7.14 €6.14

186.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 £6.72

$7.88 €6.78

14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.03

$1.38 €1.19

97.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 £1.81

$2.31 €1.99

5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 £2.59

$2.98 €2.56

16.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.4

$29.26 €25.17

205.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 £4.57

$4.60 €3.95

33.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 £1.58

$2.07 €1.78

2.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.52 £21.94

$29.18 €25.10

1.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.84 €1.58

4.89%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-1.74%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$32.7K €28.1K

17.97%

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

$318 £236

$188 €162

69.08%

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

$16.22 £12.05

$22.93 €19.73

-29.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.41 £26.32

$36.71 €31.58

-3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.63 £21.28

$57.4 €49.35

-50.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$20.71 £15.39

$11.19 €9.63

85.08%

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

$1,880 £1,397

$721 €620

160.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.8K

$15.0K €12.9K

50.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.3

$86.2 €74.2

19.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 £30.69

$37.07 €31.89

11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 £66.9

$102 €87.8

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 £73.4

$116 €99.7

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 £1,031

$1,534 €1,319

-9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 £1,299

$1,220 €1,050

43.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 £2,241

$2,696 €2,319

11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 £1,628

$2,013 €1,732

8.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,566 £2,651

$2,359 €2,029

51.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

3.39

60.77%

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

Last update for Ilford: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Ilford and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilford pays 51% 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: $88.0 in Ilford vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $318, with Ilford 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

Ilford vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford and Barcelona differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($3,005 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ilford pays 51% 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: $1,387 in Ilford versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,880 in Ilford versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ilford pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,005 in Ilford, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Ilford. 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, Ilford 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 27% less than in Ilford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.