Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,154 in Ames, IA versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,214 in Ames, IA versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,273 in Ames, IA versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Ames, IA costs roughly 14% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 57% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 $18.20

$18.39 €15.87

-1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 $52.1

$69.2 €59.7

-24.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.13 €12.19

-14.58%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$3.13 €2.70

61.98%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$3.02 €2.60

-12.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.96 €1.69

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.00 €3.45

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$4.76 €4.11

48.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.25 €1.08

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.16 €1.87

69.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.69 €1.45

98.82%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$4.93 €4.26

-32.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$17.88 €15.43

-43.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 $14.39

$9.61 €8.29

49.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$19.34 €16.69

-4.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.24 €2.79

81.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.18 €1.88

-16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$2.67 €2.30

141.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.77 €2.39

81.23%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.21 €1.91

95.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.19 €1.89

73.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.52 €1.31

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.92 €0.80

177.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 $13.14

$7.12 €6.14

84.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 $15.85

$8.14 €7.02

94.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.50 €1.29

84.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.78 €2.40

81.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$3.15 €2.72

-67.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.29 $35.29

$26.99 €23.29

30.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.25 €2.80

54.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.50 €1.30

11.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 $24.03

$34.89 €30.11

-31.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.75 €1.51

-48.00%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$36.7K €31.6K

-31.00%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$30.9K €26.7K

-19.02%

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

$160 $160

$188 €162

-14.61%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$15.44 €13.32

255.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$37.80 €32.61

81.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 $68.9

$57.2 €49.34

20.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.76 $19.76

$16.80 €14.49

17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 $15.77

$11.58 €9.99

36.18%

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

$1,376 $1,376

$1,003 €865

37.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$17.0K €14.7K

111.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$89.2 €77.0

-34.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 $44.80

$40.87 €35.27

9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 $89.9

$110 €94.9

-18.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$123 €106

-13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$1,673 €1,444

-38.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 $823

$1,331 €1,149

-38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$2,596 €2,240

-30.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 $1,513

$1,950 €1,683

-22.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 $2,403

$7,573 €6,535

-68.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 $2,224

$5,370 €4,634

-58.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,636 $3,636

$2,402 €2,073

51.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

3.16

90.51%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,032 in Ames, IA and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $332, with Barcelona 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

Ames, IA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $1,032 in Ames, IA versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 31% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,376 in Ames, IA versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,154 in Ames, IA versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ames, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,154 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ames, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA 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 Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.