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

Name: Barcelona
Address: Barcelona, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,533 per month in Ashland, MA vs $2,482 in Barcelona, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,762 per month in Ashland, MA vs $3,548 in Barcelona, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,991 per month in Ashland, MA vs $4,613 in Barcelona, rent included.

Ashland, MA costs about 2% more than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Ashland, MA and Barcelona sit above the global median – Ashland, MA by 84%, Barcelona by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$18.42 €15.88

7.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$69.4 €59.8

7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 $13.23

$14.05 €12.11

-5.84%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$3.11 €2.68

64.31%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$2.96 €2.55

-3.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.95 €1.69

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.99 €3.44

47.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.67 $8.67

$4.62 €3.98

87.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.32 €1.14

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.11 €1.82

123.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.83 €1.57

143.17%

Eggs

$6.15 $6.15

$5.16 €4.45

19.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 $10.64

$17.56 €15.14

-39.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 $10.54

$9.50 €8.19

10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 $20.43

$19.93 €17.18

2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.17 €2.73

85.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.21 €1.91

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.61 €2.25

24.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.85 €2.46

10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 €1.87

2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.11 €1.81

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.62 €1.39

65.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.88 €0.76

220.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.09 $13.09

$7.17 €6.18

82.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 $15.72

$8.33 €7.18

88.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.50 €1.29

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.75 €2.37

3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.14 €2.70

-33.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.22 €2.78

87.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.51 €1.30

9.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 $27.74

$35.26 €30.39

-21.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.75 €1.51

-48.57%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$36.7K €31.6K

-3.59%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$31.7K €27.3K

-18.63%

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

$181 $181

$187 €161

-3.09%

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

$37.06 $37.06

$15.10 €13.01

145.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 $52.8

$37.60 €32.41

40.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.36 $41.36

$55.5 €47.83

-25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$11.71 €10.09

18.19%

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

$2,109 $2,109

$1,011 €871

108.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K $21.1K

$17.1K €14.7K

23.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.10 $38.10

$91.4 €78.8

-58.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.32 $24.32

$41.00 €35.34

-40.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$111 €95.3

-17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$126 €109

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 $1,862

$1,704 €1,469

9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$1,299 €1,120

1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,757 $2,757

$2,588 €2,231

6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$1,929 €1,663

11.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 $2,731

$7,732 €6,665

-64.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,392 $2,392

$5,384 €4,641

-55.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

3.16

91.14%

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

Last update for Ashland, MA: September 5, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,862 in Ashland, MA versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Ashland, MA versus $69.0 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $333 – 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

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

Ashland, MA costs about 2% 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 $3,800 per month in Ashland, MA and $3,724 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,533 in Ashland, MA and $2,482 in Barcelona. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $2,109 per month in Ashland, MA and $1,011 in Barcelona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,533 in Ashland, MA and $2,482 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 $2,482 versus $2,533 in Ashland, MA. 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, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.