Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 26% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alpharetta, GA 123% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$17.94 €15.96

44.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$68.1 €60.5

19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$13.28 €11.81

-26.05%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.25 €2.89

49.85%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$3.01 €2.67

-16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.87 €1.66

12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.85 €3.42

50.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$4.48 €3.98

65.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.29 €1.15

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.04 €1.81

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$1.72 €1.53

233.14%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$4.77 €4.24

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$16.77 €14.92

-31.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$8.93 €7.94

-2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$19.88 €17.68

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.98 €2.65

54.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.03 €1.80

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.73 €2.43

54.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.68 €2.38

64.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.10 €1.87

73.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.08 €1.85

78.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.45 €1.29

64.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$0.89 €0.79

211.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$6.94 €6.17

28.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$7.78 €6.92

90.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.45 €1.29

18.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.57 €2.29

52.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.99 €2.66

-1.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$25.20 €22.41

273.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 €2.77

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.44 €1.28

64.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$33.50 €29.80

21.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.79 €1.59

-49.72%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.6K €30.8K

-6.28%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$30.1K €26.7K

-12.59%

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

$252 $252

$178 €158

41.67%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$13.32 €11.85

302.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$34.88 €31.03

150.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$53.3 €47.37

-36.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$16.01 €14.24

38.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$11.06 €9.84

51.99%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$957 €851

35.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$16.6K €14.7K

-3.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$88.2 €78.4

-12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$39.49 €35.12

13.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$103 €91.5

24.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$121 €108

14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$1,653 €1,470

27.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$1,302 €1,158

14.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$2,557 €2,275

17.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$1,915 €1,703

30.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$7,286 €6,481

5.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$5,080 €4,519

5.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$2,281 €2,029

180.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

3.28

108.54%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 12.5% $186

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 22.7% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 42.5% $167

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 24.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 9.4% $16

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Barcelona

$47 2% 60.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 11.4% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 180% 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: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

01:25 1:25 AM

6 h ahead of Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alpharetta, GA Barcelona 7,320 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 180% higher in Alpharetta, GA, 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: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 274% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Barcelona is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alpharetta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Alpharetta, GA 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 26% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.