Cost of Living Comparison Between Shrewsbury, Shropshire and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Shrewsbury, Shropshire and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,092 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,937 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,781 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Shrewsbury, Shropshire costs roughly 11% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Shrewsbury, Shropshire 55% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 £11.94

$17.64 €15.01

-8.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 £49.48

$68.1 €58.0

-1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 £6.36

$13.96 €11.88

-38.54%

Cappuccino

$4.27 £3.17

$2.76 €2.35

54.71%

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

$2.65 £1.97

$2.76 €2.35

-3.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.97 €1.67

-10.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 £4.01

$4.53 €3.85

19.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 £4.02

$4.53 €3.85

19.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.24 €1.05

30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 £1.33

$2.04 €1.73

-12.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.91 €1.63

13.61%

Eggs

$4.10 £3.04

$3.39 €2.89

20.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 £5.97

$18.34 €15.60

-56.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.88

$9.39 €7.99

-1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 £6.97

$18.90 €16.08

-50.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$2.63 €2.23

-11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 £0.87

$2.40 €2.04

-50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 £1.83

$2.12 €1.80

16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 £0.91

$2.70 €2.30

-54.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 £0.98

$2.05 €1.75

-35.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.78 €1.52

-18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 £0.74

$1.47 €1.25

-31.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.97

$0.91 €0.77

43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.65 £12.33

$7.01 €5.97

137.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 £6.97

$7.59 €6.46

23.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 £1.82

$1.44 €1.22

70.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 £2.66

$2.32 €1.97

54.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 £1.99

$2.94 €2.50

-8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 £64.5

$29.38 €25.00

196.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.98

$4.53 €3.85

18.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.84

$2.14 €1.82

-46.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 £18.29

$28.97 €24.65

-14.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.89 €1.61

3.70%

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

$32.6K £24.2K

$39.0K €33.2K

-16.47%

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

$32.0K £23.7K

$32.4K €27.6K

-1.40%

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

$298 £221

$189 €161

57.62%

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

$22.74 £16.85

$22.24 €18.92

2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.26 £29.09

$36.57 €31.12

7.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.0 £63.7

$58.0 €49.38

48.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.01 £8.16

$21.30 €18.13

-48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.63 £10.10

$11.01 €9.37

23.80%

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

$1,270 £941

$731 €622

73.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K £12.1K

$14.8K €12.6K

9.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 £44.74

$89.3 €76.0

-32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.53 £30.77

$37.38 €31.81

11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 £62.8

$105 €89.0

-19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 £73.4

$116 €99.0

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 £795

$1,551 €1,320

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 £648

$1,216 €1,035

-28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 £1,178

$2,799 €2,382

-43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 £940

$2,008 €1,709

-36.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,124 £3,056

$7,161 €6,094

-42.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,016 £2,235

$5,021 €4,273

-39.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,731 £2,023

$2,462 €2,095

10.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.39

74.04%

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

Last update for Shrewsbury, Shropshire: April 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shrewsbury, Shropshire pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire vs $68 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $316 per month, with Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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

Shrewsbury, Shropshire vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shrewsbury, Shropshire and Barcelona differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,092 vs $2,356 including rent). Shrewsbury, Shropshire is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shrewsbury, Shropshire pays 11% 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: $1,072 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,270 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,092 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shrewsbury, Shropshire but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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, Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.