Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, NY and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,512 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Amherst, NY despite lower rent and utilities.

125

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,512 per month in Amherst, NY vs $2,443 in Barcelona, rent included.

Amherst, NY $2,512
Barcelona $2,443

A couple spends around $3,853 per month in Amherst, NY vs $3,519 in Barcelona, rent included.

Amherst, NY $3,853
Barcelona $3,519

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Amherst, NY vs $4,595 in Barcelona, rent included.

Amherst, NY $5,195
Barcelona $4,595

Amherst, NY costs about 3% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Amherst, NY and Barcelona sit above the global median – Amherst, NY by 86%, Barcelona by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$17.66 €15.69

2.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$67.5 €59.9

15.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$13.61 €12.09

-10.58%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$3.10 €2.75

91.61%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$3.00 €2.67

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.93 €1.71

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.84 €3.41

80.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$4.36 €3.87

73.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.25 €1.11

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.12 €1.89

56.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.97 €1.75

119.29%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$4.76 €4.23

-16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$17.07 €15.16

-35.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$8.96 €7.96

11.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 $15.86

$20.65 €18.34

-23.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.16 €2.81

55.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.97 €1.75

-27.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.65 €2.36

65.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.88 €2.56

82.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.06 €1.83

32.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.18 €1.94

35.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.53 €1.36

56.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.97 €0.86

154.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 $15.03

$6.97 €6.19

115.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.89 €7.01

90.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.42 €1.26

40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.69 €2.39

53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.31 €2.94

-41.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 $54.1

$25.61 €22.75

111.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.08 €2.74

-8.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.48 €1.32

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.01 $20.01

$32.87 €29.20

-39.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.87 €1.66

-36.90%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$33.0K €29.3K

-7.13%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$31.9K €28.4K

-19.30%

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

$234 $234

$183 €162

27.92%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$14.24 €12.65

263.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$34.56 €30.70

91.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 $40.31

$51.4 €45.68

-21.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 $19.77

$16.38 €14.55

20.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$11.06 €9.83

16.46%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$944 €838

33.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$22.3K €19.8K

-15.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$87.7 €77.9

-38.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.22 $44.22

$38.77 €34.44

14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$105 €92.9

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$118 €105

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$1,697 €1,507

-8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$1,337 €1,187

-12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,716 $2,716

$2,692 €2,391

0.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$2,077 €1,845

9.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 $2,775

$7,155 €6,356

-61.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$5,079 €4,512

-53.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 $4,179

$2,241 €1,991

86.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

3.19

104.39%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, NY

$1.2K 46.7%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 13.9% $163

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, NY

$384 15.3%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 14.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, NY

$352 14%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 34.2% $120

Eating Out

Amherst, NY

$322 12.8%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 17% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, NY

$139 5.5%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 13% $18

Getting Around

Amherst, NY

$75 3%

Barcelona

$49 2% 34.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, NY

$66 2.6%

Barcelona

$74 3% 11.3% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,547 in Amherst, NY versus $1,697 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 86% higher in Amherst, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Amherst, NY versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $328 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

6 h ahead of Amherst, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Amherst, NY Barcelona 6,400 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, NY
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

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

Amherst, NY costs about 3% more than Barcelona, 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 $3,767 per month in Amherst, NY and $3,664 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,547 in Amherst, NY and $1,697 in Barcelona. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $1,263 per month in Amherst, NY and $944 in Barcelona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Amherst, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,512 in Amherst, NY and $2,443 in Barcelona, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,443 in Barcelona to $2,512 in Amherst, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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