Barcelona vs Manchester Cost of Living
Barcelona (Spain) · Overall index 56.2 — Manchester (United Kingdom) · Overall index 57.5
Summary
- Overall, Manchester is 2% more expensive than Barcelona.
- Rent in Manchester is 9% more expensive than in Barcelona.
- Transport in Manchester is 6% cheaper than in Barcelona.
| Item | Barcelona | Manchester | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +9% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,445 | $1,708 | +18% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $902 | $1,022 | +13% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,803 | $2,649 | -5% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,905 | $2,136 | +12% |
| Groceries | +3% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.93 | $0.92 | -1% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.74 | $2.87 | +5% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.41 | $3.33 | -2% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.69 | $3.32 | -10% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11 | $11.2 | +2% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $9.93 | $10.4 | +5% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $13.3 | $15.1 | +14% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.12 | $3.94 | -4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.53 | $1.37 | -10% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.14 | $3.67 | +17% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.37 | $4.39 | 0% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.3 | $2.22 | -3% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.83 | $2 | +9% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.77 | $2.08 | +18% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.61 | $1.88 | +17% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $11.3 | $10.5 | -7% |
| Transport | -6% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.83 | $1.69 | -8% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $81.9 | $73 | -11% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.67 | $2.89 | +8% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.37 | $1.22 | -11% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.68 | $0.59 | -13% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,305 | $17,866 | -2% |
| Dining out | +1% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $16.4 | $14.8 | -10% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $78.7 | $87 | +11% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.38 | $8.79 | +19% |
| Cappuccino | $3.74 | $4.09 | +9% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.88 | $2 | +6% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.27 | $4.51 | -14% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.85 | $5.43 | -7% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.32 | $1.27 | -4% |
| Telecom | -2% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $45.4 | $49 | +8% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $50.8 | $46.5 | -8% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.28 | $0.28 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $11 | $10.4 | -5% |
| Utilities & household | +5% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $128 | $122 | -5% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.17 | $0.17 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.08 | $3.22 | +5% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.98 | $1.09 | +11% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $16.4 | $18 | +10% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $53.1 | $66.4 | +25% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $11.7 | $10.2 | -13% |
| Men's haircut | $24.4 | $24.6 | +1% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $17.7 | $20 | +13% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,362 | $1,443 | +6% |
3,390 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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