Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,300 in Surrey versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,943 in Surrey versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,585 in Surrey versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Surrey is roughly 42% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surrey 147% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.00

$17.66 €15.45

14.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 £62.8

$69.7 €61.0

21.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 £6.88

$14.16 €12.39

-34.68%

Cappuccino

$4.50 £3.35

$2.80 €2.45

60.71%

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

$2.19 £1.63

$2.81 €2.46

-22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.22

$2.06 €1.81

-20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 £4.34

$4.60 €4.02

26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 £4.02

$4.69 €4.10

15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.23 €1.08

21.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.11

$2.03 €1.78

-26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 £2.14

$1.98 €1.73

45.45%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.45

$3.49 €3.05

-5.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 £6.64

$18.33 €16.04

-51.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 £5.59

$9.83 €8.60

-23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 £11.35

$19.13 €16.73

-20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 £3.14

$2.73 €2.38

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 £1.71

$2.38 €2.09

-3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$2.08 €1.82

46.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 £3.58

$2.75 €2.41

75.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.96 €1.72

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.79 €1.57

-3.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.48 €1.29

-29.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.91 €0.80

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 £10.04

$7.13 €6.24

89.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 £8.39

$7.88 €6.89

43.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.17

$1.38 €1.21

111.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

$2.39 €2.09

-23.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 £3.08

$3.01 €2.63

37.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 £99.2

$29.35 €25.68

354.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 £3.41

$4.36 €3.82

5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.13 €1.86

-19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 £30.67

$29.60 €25.90

39.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.82 €1.59

4.40%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$37.9K €33.1K

1.23%

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

$40.1K £29.8K

$32.4K €28.3K

23.85%

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

$274 £203

$189 €165

44.69%

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

$15.68 £11.66

$22.29 €19.50

-29.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.27 £30.70

$37.16 €32.51

11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 £41.09

$58.0 €50.8

-4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 £8.21

$10.87 €9.51

1.56%

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

$1,280 £952

$706 €618

81.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$14.9K €13.0K

21.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 £63.8

$89.4 €78.3

-4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 £31.43

$36.60 €32.02

15.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 £65.2

$104 €91.0

-15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 £102

$119 €104

15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 £1,758

$1,579 €1,381

49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 £1,483

$1,238 €1,083

60.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,382 £2,515

$2,712 €2,373

24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,241

$2,039 €1,784

-18.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,292 £5,424

$5,239 €4,584

39.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 £2,543

$2,364 €2,068

44.66%

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 Surrey: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,363 in Surrey and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 45% 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 Surrey vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $311 vs $320, with Surrey 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

Surrey vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey and Barcelona differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($3,300 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 45% higher in Surrey, 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: $2,363 in Surrey versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,280 in Surrey versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Surrey pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,300 in Surrey, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Surrey. 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, Surrey 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 42% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.