Cost of Living Comparison Between Merthyr Tydfil and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Merthyr Tydfil and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,208 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,061 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,915 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Merthyr Tydfil costs roughly 7% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merthyr Tydfil 65% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 £15.01

$17.58 €15.12

14.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 £46.07

$68.4 €58.9

-9.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 £6.04

$14.06 €12.09

-42.25%

Cappuccino

$3.72 £2.77

$2.78 €2.39

33.81%

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

$2.29 £1.70

$2.80 €2.41

-18.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.06 €1.78

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 £3.83

$4.46 €3.84

15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 £3.37

$4.61 €3.96

-1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.24 €1.07

49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.03 €1.74

-17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$1.92 €1.65

46.87%

Eggs

$5.49 £4.08

$3.31 €2.85

65.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 £10.80

$18.43 €15.85

-21.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 £6.64

$9.49 €8.16

-5.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 £10.51

$19.16 €16.48

-26.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 £3.03

$2.64 €2.27

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$2.45 €2.11

-37.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$2.12 €1.82

49.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 £4.24

$2.85 €2.45

100.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.04 €1.75

-19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.85 €1.59

7.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.47 €1.26

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$0.84 €0.73

145.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.75 £14.68

$7.14 €6.14

176.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 £8.91

$7.88 €6.78

52.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 £2.58

$1.38 €1.19

151.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 £3.41

$2.31 €1.99

98.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 £2.52

$2.98 €2.56

13.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 £75.5

$29.26 €25.17

247.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 £6.18

$4.60 €3.95

80.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.07 €1.78

-29.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.77 £25.10

$29.18 €25.10

15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.84 €1.58

3.80%

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

$37.7K £28.0K

$39.0K €33.6K

-3.41%

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

$44.8K £33.3K

$32.7K €28.1K

36.96%

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

$380 £282

$188 €162

102.34%

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

$18.76 £13.95

$22.93 €19.73

-18.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.49 £35.30

$36.71 €31.58

29.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 £34.04

$57.4 €49.35

-20.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 £10.91

$11.19 €9.63

31.19%

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

$1,754 £1,304

$721 €620

143.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.6K

$15.0K €12.9K

21.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 £70.0

$86.2 €74.2

9.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 £39.29

$37.07 €31.89

42.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £69.1

$102 €87.8

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £88.9

$116 €99.7

3.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 £604

$1,534 €1,319

-47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 £580

$1,220 €1,050

-36.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 £878

$2,696 €2,319

-56.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 £768

$2,013 €1,732

-48.68%

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)

$1,606 £1,194

$2,359 €2,029

-31.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

3.39

69.32%

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

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $812 in Merthyr Tydfil and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 47% 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: $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $318, with Barcelona 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

Merthyr Tydfil vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merthyr Tydfil and Barcelona differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,208 vs $2,367 including rent). Merthyr Tydfil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 47% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $812 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,754 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,208 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merthyr Tydfil but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Merthyr Tydfil 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, Merthyr Tydfil 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 Merthyr Tydfil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.