Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester, NH and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester, NH and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,902 in Manchester, NH versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,110 in Manchester, NH versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,318 in Manchester, NH versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Manchester, NH is roughly 25% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester, NH 117% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.05 $27.05

$17.66 €15.43

53.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 $83.5

$69.7 €60.9

19.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 $11.15

$14.16 €12.37

-21.26%

Cappuccino

$4.29 $4.29

$2.80 €2.45

53.21%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.81 €2.46

-14.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.06 €1.80

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.60 €4.02

33.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.69 €4.10

50.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.23 €1.07

-17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.03 €1.78

50.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.98 €1.73

146.97%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.49 €3.05

27.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 $11.75

$18.33 €16.01

-35.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.98 $10.98

$9.83 €8.59

11.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 $14.35

$19.13 €16.71

-24.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.73 €2.38

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.38 €2.08

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.08 €1.82

114.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$2.75 €2.41

118.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.96 €1.71

22.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.79 €1.57

78.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.48 €1.29

47.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.91 €0.80

163.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$7.13 €6.23

38.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$7.88 €6.88

87.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.38 €1.20

36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.39 €2.09

107.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.01 €2.63

-32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$29.35 €25.65

106.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.36 €3.81

-7.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.13 €1.86

-56.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$29.60 €25.86

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.82 €1.59

-54.40%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$37.9K €33.1K

-37.10%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$32.4K €28.3K

-23.43%

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

$218 $218

$189 €165

15.51%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$22.29 €19.48

127.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.2 $83.2

$37.16 €32.47

123.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$58.0 €50.7

-26.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.79 $40.79

$20.66 €18.05

97.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 $11.73

$10.87 €9.50

7.91%

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

$1,250 $1,250

$706 €617

76.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$14.9K €13.0K

19.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.61 $44.61

$89.4 €78.2

-50.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 $44.74

$36.60 €31.98

22.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 $89.3

$104 €90.9

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$119 €104

-4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,579 €1,379

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 $1,516

$1,238 €1,082

22.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 $2,431

$2,712 €2,370

-10.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$2,039 €1,782

14.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 $2,926

$7,527 €6,576

-61.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,929 $2,929

$5,239 €4,577

-44.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 $4,107

$2,364 €2,065

73.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

3.39

84.07%

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

Last update for Manchester, NH: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,784 in Manchester, NH and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester, NH pays 74% 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: $84.0 in Manchester, NH vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 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

Manchester, NH vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester, NH and Barcelona differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,902 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Manchester, NH, 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: $1,784 in Manchester, NH versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,250 in Manchester, NH versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Manchester, NH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,902 in Manchester, NH, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Manchester, NH. 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, Manchester, NH 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 25% less than in Manchester, NH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.