Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albuquerque, NM and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Albuquerque, NM and in Barcelona: $2,342 and $2,381 a month, rent and utilities included.

114

Cost of Living Index in Albuquerque, NM
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Albuquerque, NM Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,342

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albuquerque, NM 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 Albuquerque, NM and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,342 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $2,381 in Barcelona, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $2,342
Barcelona $2,381

A couple spends around $3,506 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $3,406 in Barcelona, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $3,506
Barcelona $3,406

A family of three spends $4,671 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $4,431 in Barcelona, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $4,671
Barcelona $4,431

Albuquerque, NM is about 2% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Albuquerque, NM and Barcelona sit above the global median – Albuquerque, NM by 73%, Barcelona by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 $17.34

$17.89 €15.92

-3.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$66.2 €58.9

2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$13.69 €12.18

-27.76%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$3.06 €2.72

62.09%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.07 €2.73

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.94 €1.73

24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.87 €3.44

52.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.61 €4.10

78.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.30 €1.16

-23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.10 €1.87

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.83 €1.62

148.09%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$4.62 €4.11

2.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$17.36 €15.44

-33.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 $9.21

$9.28 €8.25

-0.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 $20.29

$19.83 €17.64

2.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.01 €2.68

55.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.03 €1.81

-27.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.65 €2.36

56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.87 €2.55

85.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.16 €1.92

51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.15 €1.91

56.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.47 €1.31

38.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$0.88 €0.79

217.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$6.93 €6.16

54.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 $14.24

$7.83 €6.96

81.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.39 €1.24

76.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.63 €2.34

38.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.01 $4.01

$25.46 €22.64

-84.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.00 €2.66

20.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.44 €1.28

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.35 $32.35

$33.20 €29.53

-2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.86 €1.65

-48.39%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$32.3K €28.8K

-10.31%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$31.7K €28.2K

-20.75%

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

$155 $155

$183 €163

-15.43%

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

$62.9 $62.9

$13.61 €12.11

361.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$32.93 €29.29

121.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.09 $49.09

$54.7 €48.65

-10.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.40 $14.40

$16.52 €14.70

-12.83%

Cinema Ticket

$12.79 $12.79

$11.23 €9.99

13.89%

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

$1,487 $1,487

$954 €849

55.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$16.6K €14.8K

52.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 $53.4

$86.0 €76.5

-37.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 $43.87

$39.11 €34.78

12.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$104 €92.2

2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$119 €106

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 $1,173

$1,695 €1,508

-30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$1,276 €1,135

-12.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 $2,267

$2,576 €2,291

-12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,922 €1,710

1.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 $2,466

$7,281 €6,477

-66.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$5,010 €4,456

-54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,016 $4,016

$2,227 €1,981

80.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.28

100.30%

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

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 18, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7%

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6% 14.2% $159

Groceries & Markets

Albuquerque, NM

$402 17.2%

Barcelona

$325 13.7% 19.2% $77

Eating Out

Albuquerque, NM

$295 12.6%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 8.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albuquerque, NM

$290 12.4%

Barcelona

$229 9.6% 21% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Albuquerque, NM

$144 6.2%

Barcelona

$156 6.6% 8.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Albuquerque, NM

$75 3.2%

Barcelona

$77 3.2% 3.3% $2.5

Getting Around

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8%

Barcelona

$47 2% 165% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,173 in Albuquerque, NM versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 80% higher in Albuquerque, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Albuquerque, NM versus $66.0 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $325 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

10:11 10:11 AM

8 h ahead of Albuquerque, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

564,559

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Albuquerque, NM Barcelona 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Albuquerque, NM
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

Albuquerque, NM vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 2% more than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,513 per month in Albuquerque, NM and $3,571 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Albuquerque, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM and $2,381 in Barcelona. That's a gap of about 2%.

Public transport costs about 535% less in Albuquerque, NM. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Albuquerque, NM, where all-in costs run around $2,342, than in Barcelona at $2,381. In Albuquerque, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Albuquerque, NM costs $2,342 versus $2,381 in Barcelona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Albuquerque, NM. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.