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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,370 in Arlington, WA versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,537 in Arlington, WA versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,705 in Arlington, WA versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Arlington, WA is roughly 1% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 77% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.34 $16.34

$17.61 €15.04

-7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$68.7 €58.7

5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 $12.42

$13.75 €11.74

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$2.76 €2.36

89.13%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.78 €2.38

5.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.05 €1.75

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.61 €3.93

10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.97 $11.97

$4.59 €3.92

160.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.28 €1.09

-16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.11 €1.80

94.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.97 €1.68

145.18%

Eggs

$4.93 $4.93

$3.44 €2.94

43.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 $9.68

$18.83 €16.08

-48.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 $7.89

$9.45 €8.07

-16.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$19.01 €16.24

-19.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.72 €2.32

4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.37 €2.03

-28.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.08 €1.77

144.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.76 €2.36

76.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.97 €1.68

71.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.79 €1.53

61.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.51 €1.29

33.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.90 €0.77

231.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.09 $11.09

$6.76 €5.77

64.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$7.55 €6.44

97.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.44 €1.23

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 $6.37

$2.41 €2.06

164.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.03 €2.59

-32.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$4.43 €3.78

-40.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 $0.74

$2.05 €1.75

-63.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.88 $29.88

$29.33 €25.05

1.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.89 €1.61

-43.92%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$38.7K €33.1K

-5.28%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$32.4K €27.6K

-25.86%

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

$214 $214

$189 €161

13.59%

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

$49.86 $49.86

$22.21 €18.96

124.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.68 $44.68

$36.82 €31.44

21.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.63 $33.63

$58.0 €49.52

-42.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$11.05 €9.44

33.67%

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

$2,078 $2,078

$726 €620

185.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$15.2K €13.0K

104.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.28 $38.28

$88.3 €75.4

-56.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 $39.43

$36.98 €31.58

6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$103 €87.6

-28.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$119 €102

-14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 $1,291

$1,526 €1,304

-15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 $1,218

$1,218 €1,040

0.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,456 $2,456

$2,794 €2,386

-12.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 $2,030

$2,027 €1,731

0.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,762 $5,762

$2,404 €2,053

139.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.39

43.07%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Arlington, WA and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, WA pays 140% 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: $72.0 in Arlington, WA vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $320 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

Arlington, WA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, WA and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arlington, WA pays 140% more on average, 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: $1,291 in Arlington, WA versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Arlington, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,370 per month in Arlington, WA versus $2,341 in Barcelona – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,370 in Arlington, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Arlington, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arlington, WA 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 1% less than in Arlington, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.