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

Name: Barcelona
Address: Barcelona, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,650 per month in Amherst, NY vs $2,367 in Barcelona, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,873 per month in Amherst, NY vs $3,465 in Barcelona, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,097 per month in Amherst, NY vs $4,563 in Barcelona, rent included.

Amherst, NY costs about 12% more than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Amherst, NY and Barcelona sit above the global median – Amherst, NY by 98%, Barcelona by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 $18.34

$17.58 €15.12

4.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 $86.2

$68.4 €58.9

25.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$14.06 €12.09

-15.01%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.78 €2.39

93.88%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$2.80 €2.41

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.06 €1.78

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$4.46 €3.84

56.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.61 €3.96

67.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.24 €1.07

-22.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.03 €1.74

88.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.92 €1.65

145.31%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.31 €2.85

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$18.43 €15.85

-30.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 $8.15

$9.49 €8.16

-14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$19.16 €16.48

-36.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.64 €2.27

53.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.45 €2.11

-51.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.12 €1.82

154.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.85 €2.45

76.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.04 €1.75

26.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.85 €1.59

96.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.47 €1.26

68.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.84 €0.73

197.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.29 $12.29

$7.14 €6.14

72.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$7.88 €6.78

91.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.38 €1.19

23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.31 €1.99

99.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.98 €2.56

-33.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.60 €3.95

-13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.07 €1.78

-9.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.98 $29.98

$29.18 €25.10

2.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.84 €1.58

-48.37%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$39.0K €33.6K

-28.34%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$32.7K €28.1K

-25.35%

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

$237 $237

$188 €162

26.45%

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

$45.85 $45.85

$22.93 €19.73

99.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$36.71 €31.58

67.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 $42.66

$57.4 €49.35

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.30 $20.30

$20.70 €17.80

-1.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$11.19 €9.63

23.68%

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

$900 $900

$721 €620

24.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K $17.3K

$15.0K €12.9K

15.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.22 $46.22

$86.2 €74.2

-46.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.42 $45.42

$37.07 €31.89

22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$102 €87.8

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$116 €99.7

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,534 €1,319

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 $1,341

$1,220 €1,050

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,696 €2,319

-1.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$2,013 €1,732

9.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,209 $3,209

$7,220 €6,211

-55.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,382 $4,382

$5,189 €4,463

-15.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 $4,113

$2,359 €2,029

74.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

3.39

89.38%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Amherst, NY versus $1,534 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 74% higher in Amherst, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Amherst, NY versus $68.0 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $318 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 12% more than Barcelona, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,975 per month in Amherst, NY and $3,550 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Amherst, NY and $68.0 in Barcelona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Amherst, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,650 in Amherst, NY and $2,367 in Barcelona. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Barcelona costs $2,367 versus $2,650 in Amherst, NY. 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 Barcelona. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amherst, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.