Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Barcelona

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Arlington, VA is 48.9% more expensive than Barcelona without rent, and 53.2% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Arlington, VA is 42.1% more expensive than Barcelona without rent, and 59.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.54 $24.54
$17.41 โ‚ฌ15.03
40.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.5 $88.5
$68.7 โ‚ฌ59.3
28.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.84 $11.84
$13.71 โ‚ฌ11.84
-13.64%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$2.78 โ‚ฌ2.4
94.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.8 โ‚ฌ2.42
4.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.5 $2.5
$1.98 โ‚ฌ1.71
26.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 $8.02
$4.43 โ‚ฌ3.83
81.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.91
94.70%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.24 โ‚ฌ1.07
-
White Bread (500g)
$4.1 $4.1
$2.03 โ‚ฌ1.75
101.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.81 $6.81
$1.98 โ‚ฌ1.71
243.94%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$3.46 โ‚ฌ2.99
24.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.79 $17.79
$18.32 โ‚ฌ15.82
-2.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.75 $14.75
$9.82 โ‚ฌ8.47
50.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.38 $21.38
$19.24 โ‚ฌ16.61
11.12%
Apples (1kg)
$6.26 $6.26
$2.61 โ‚ฌ2.25
139.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 $2.06
$2.34 โ‚ฌ2.02
-11.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$2.11 โ‚ฌ1.82
147.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$2.77 โ‚ฌ2.39
106.14%
Potato (1kg)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.04 โ‚ฌ1.76
68.63%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$1.77 โ‚ฌ1.53
91.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 $2.65
$1.5 โ‚ฌ1.3
76.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$0.85 โ‚ฌ0.73
188.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.3 $12.3
$7 โ‚ฌ6.04
75.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.17 $17.17
$7.13 โ‚ฌ6.16
140.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.43 โ‚ฌ1.24
41.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.29 $4.29
$2.29 โ‚ฌ1.98
87.34%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 $3.43
$3.02 โ‚ฌ2.6
13.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 $125
$28.97 โ‚ฌ25.01
332.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$4.59 โ‚ฌ3.96
-34.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 $1.59
$2.02 โ‚ฌ1.74
-21.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.75 $21.75
$29.56 โ‚ฌ25.53
-26.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.81 โ‚ฌ1.56
-49.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$38.4K โ‚ฌ33.1K
-23.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26K $26K
$32.4K โ‚ฌ28K
-19.61%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 $205
$190 โ‚ฌ164
7.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.8 $59.8
$22.18 โ‚ฌ19.15
169.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$36.37 โ‚ฌ31.4
92.16%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$57.4 โ‚ฌ49.55
33.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.96 $23.96
$20.95 โ‚ฌ18.09
14.37%
Cinema Ticket
$14.84 $14.84
$10.8 โ‚ฌ9.33
37.41%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,074 $2,074
$732 โ‚ฌ632
183.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.4K $39.4K
$15.1K โ‚ฌ13.1K
160.50%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 $55.9
$86.8 โ‚ฌ74.9
-35.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.48 $49.48
$36.78 โ‚ฌ31.76
34.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 $92.6
$102 โ‚ฌ88.2
-9.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 $141
$117 โ‚ฌ101
20.69%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 $2,473
$1,581 โ‚ฌ1,365
56.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,930 $1,930
$1,230 โ‚ฌ1,062
56.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,350 $4,350
$2,707 โ‚ฌ2,337
60.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,575 $3,575
$2,028 โ‚ฌ1,751
76.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,644 $4,644
$6,602 โ‚ฌ5,700
-29.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,073 $4,073
$5,045 โ‚ฌ4,356
-19.28%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Arlington, VA
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,454 $6,454
$2,198 โ‚ฌ1,898
193.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
3.39
93.22%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 28, 2025

Last update for Barcelona: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.