Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,006 in Amherst, MA versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,373 in Amherst, MA versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,739 in Amherst, MA versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 21% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 120% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$18.74 €16.33

5.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$69.5 €60.6

9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 $9.48

$13.77 €12.00

-31.15%

Cappuccino

$4.70 $4.70

$3.10 €2.70

51.61%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.83 €2.47

-7.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.88 €1.64

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.98 €3.47

49.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.69 $10.69

$4.53 €3.95

135.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.27 €1.11

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.16 €1.88

48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$1.76 €1.53

202.84%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$5.13 €4.47

-11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.58 $16.58

$17.88 €15.59

-7.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$9.65 €8.41

63.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$20.15 €17.56

-7.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.25 €2.84

50.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.23 €1.94

-34.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.60 €2.27

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.76 €2.40

65.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.21 €1.93

47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.12 €1.85

66.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.55 €1.35

49.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.95 €0.83

114.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$7.34 €6.40

45.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$8.05 €7.01

47.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.54 €1.35

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.79 €2.43

22.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$3.11 €2.71

-58.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 $27.88

$25.86 €22.54

7.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.27 €2.85

9.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.48 €1.29

-8.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 $30.36

$34.27 €29.88

-11.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.73 €1.51

-43.93%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$36.4K €31.7K

-0.40%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$30.5K €26.6K

-16.45%

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

$214 $214

$187 €163

14.61%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$15.14 €13.20

281.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 $84.6

$37.69 €32.85

124.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$55.9 €48.76

114.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 $6.93

$17.08 €14.89

-59.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 $10.30

$11.41 €9.95

-9.73%

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

$1,516 $1,516

$997 €869

52.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$16.5K €14.4K

2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.90 $44.90

$92.6 €80.8

-51.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 $39.65

$41.22 €35.93

-3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 $91.0

$111 €96.9

-18.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$125 €109

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$1,707 €1,488

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$1,286 €1,121

27.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,877 $3,877

$2,565 €2,236

51.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,648 $2,648

$1,942 €1,693

36.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,021 $4,021

$7,647 €6,666

-47.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,083 $4,083

$5,167 €4,504

-20.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,734 $4,734

$2,348 €2,047

101.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

3.16

93.04%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,806 in Amherst, MA and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 102% 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: $76.0 in Amherst, MA vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $336 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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

Amherst, MA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% higher in Amherst, MA, 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: $1,806 in Amherst, MA versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,516 in Amherst, MA versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Amherst, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Amherst, MA 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 21% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.