Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,405 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selfoss and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Selfoss and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,460 in Selfoss versus $2,405 in Barcelona.

Selfoss $3,460
Barcelona $2,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,461 in Selfoss versus $3,477 in Barcelona.

Selfoss $2,461
Barcelona $3,477

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,462 in Selfoss versus $4,550 in Barcelona.

Selfoss $1,462
Barcelona $4,550

Living in Selfoss is roughly 44% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Selfoss 158% above, Barcelona 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.05

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.81 ISK 2,538

$13.37 €11.93

55.65%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

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

$2.95 €2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.20 ISK 1,488

$3.88 €3.46

214.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ISK 219

$1.27 €1.13

40.94%

White Bread (500g)

$7.61 ISK 928

$1.96 €1.75

288.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 ISK 544

$1.75 €1.56

154.86%

Eggs

$6.56 ISK 800

$4.89 €4.36

34.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.24 ISK 2,103

$17.47 €15.59

-1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.77 ISK 2,655

$9.06 €8.09

140.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.50 ISK 4,085

$20.18 €18.01

66.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ISK 332

$3.08 €2.75

-11.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ISK 335

$2.03 €1.81

35.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ISK 324

$2.60 €2.32

1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.51 ISK 916

$2.71 €2.42

177.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ISK 391

$2.15 €1.92

49.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ISK 266

$2.21 €1.97

-1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 ISK 439

$1.54 €1.38

133.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ISK 175

$0.93 €0.83

54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.97 ISK 1,947

$7.09 €6.32

125.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ISK 143

$2.73 €2.43

-57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.13

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

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

$34.7K €31.0K

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

$30.3K €27.0K

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

$181 €161

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

$13.56 €12.10

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

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

$939 €838

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 ISK 343.9K

$1,301 €1,161

116.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,299

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,636

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Barcelona

$48 2%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

2 h ahead of Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selfoss Barcelona 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Selfoss vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selfoss and Barcelona differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($3,460 vs $2,405 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,190 in Selfoss and $3,607 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,460 per month in Selfoss versus $2,405 in Barcelona – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,405 in Barcelona versus $3,460 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. 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, Selfoss 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 44% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.