Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,119 in Ipswich versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Ipswich versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,952 in Ipswich versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Ipswich costs roughly 9% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ipswich 58% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 A$22.79

$17.61 €15.08

-7.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 A$110

$68.7 €58.8

14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.79 A$13.71

$13.75 €11.77

-28.80%

Cappuccino

$3.40 A$4.75

$2.76 €2.36

23.19%

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

$2.50 A$3.50

$2.78 €2.38

-10.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.98

$2.05 €1.75

3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 A$9.01

$4.61 €3.94

39.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 A$10.26

$4.59 €3.93

59.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.03

$1.28 €1.10

13.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 A$3.27

$2.11 €1.81

10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.83

$1.97 €1.69

2.54%

Eggs

$4.43 A$6.20

$3.44 €2.95

28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$18.83 €16.12

-55.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 A$11.74

$9.45 €8.09

-11.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 A$19.00

$19.01 €16.27

-28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.66

$2.72 €2.33

22.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.85

$2.37 €2.03

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.21

$2.08 €1.78

44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 A$5.66

$2.76 €2.36

46.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.48

$1.97 €1.69

26.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 A$3.01

$1.79 €1.53

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$3.01

$1.51 €1.29

42.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.15

$0.90 €0.77

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.12 A$56.2

$6.76 €5.79

493.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.51 A$31.52

$7.55 €6.46

198.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 A$6.30

$1.44 €1.23

212.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 A$7.61

$2.41 €2.06

125.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.67

$3.03 €2.59

-13.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$90.1

$28.39 €24.30

126.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 A$2.90

$4.43 €3.79

-53.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.93

$2.05 €1.76

-32.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.53 A$46.94

$29.33 €25.11

14.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.67

$1.89 €1.62

-37.04%

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

$29.1K A$40.8K

$38.7K €33.2K

-24.82%

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

$22.5K A$31.5K

$32.4K €27.7K

-30.51%

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

$186 A$261

$189 €161

-1.13%

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

$29.28 A$41.00

$22.21 €19.01

31.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$73.8

$36.82 €31.52

43.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.11 A$67.4

$58.0 €49.64

-17.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 A$21.70

$20.99 €17.97

-26.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 A$18.30

$11.05 €9.46

18.28%

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

$1,608 A$2,251

$726 €622

121.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.8K

$15.2K €13.0K

-21.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 A$96.7

$88.3 €75.6

-21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.6

$36.98 €31.66

36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$103 €87.8

-1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$149

$119 €102

-10.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 A$1,358

$1,526 €1,307

-36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 A$1,344

$1,218 €1,043

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 A$1,829

$2,794 €2,392

-53.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 A$1,826

$2,027 €1,735

-35.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,096 A$8,534

$7,094 €6,073

-14.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,383 A$7,537

$4,849 €4,151

11.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,346 A$6,085

$2,404 €2,058

80.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

76.99%

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

Last update for Ipswich: April 28, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Ipswich and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Ipswich vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $320 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

Ipswich vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ipswich and Barcelona differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,119 vs $2,341 including rent). Ipswich is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ipswich pays 81% 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: $970 in Ipswich versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,608 in Ipswich versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,119 in Ipswich versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ipswich but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ipswich 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, Ipswich 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 Ipswich gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.