Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, MA and Barcelona

Name: Barcelona
Address: Barcelona, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,638 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,638

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,638 per month in Ashland, MA vs $2,453 in Barcelona, rent included.

Ashland, MA $3,638
Barcelona $2,453

A couple spends around $4,720 per month in Ashland, MA vs $3,509 in Barcelona, rent included.

Ashland, MA $4,720
Barcelona $3,509

A family of three spends $5,802 per month in Ashland, MA vs $4,564 in Barcelona, rent included.

Ashland, MA $5,802
Barcelona $4,564

Ashland, MA costs about 48% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ashland, MA and Barcelona sit above the global median – Ashland, MA by 167%, Barcelona by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$17.59 €15.80

12.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$67.5 €60.6

13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.21 $13.21

$13.53 €12.15

-2.37%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$3.19 €2.87

58.62%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$2.91 €2.62

-1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.89 €1.70

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.01 €3.60

49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$4.53 €4.07

99.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.31 €1.17

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.02 €1.81

120.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$1.85 €1.66

784.86%

Eggs

$5.96 $5.96

$4.83 €4.34

23.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$16.74 €15.03

7.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 $10.73

$9.12 €8.19

17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 $18.82

$19.64 €17.64

-4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.98 €2.68

85.23%

Banana (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.02 €1.81

112.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.70 €2.43

20.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.80 €2.52

11.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.09 €1.87

4.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.07 €1.86

15.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.46 €1.31

79.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.94 €0.84

203.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.66 $13.66

$6.87 €6.17

98.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.34 $17.34

$7.89 €7.08

119.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.41 €1.26

34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.54 €2.28

7.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.99 €2.69

96.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.80 €1.61

-43.89%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.2K €29.8K

-14.91%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$31.7K €28.5K

-16.88%

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

$180 $180

$180 €162

-0.47%

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

$37.13 $37.13

$13.84 €12.43

168.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$33.70 €30.27

75.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 $76.1

$51.5 €46.27

47.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.12 $44.12

$15.96 €14.34

176.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 $12.37

$10.99 €9.88

12.56%

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

$2,104 $2,104

$917 €823

129.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.59 $38.59

$87.0 €78.2

-55.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.15 $16.15

$38.51 €34.59

-58.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$106 €95.1

-4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$120 €108

-15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$1,699 €1,527

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,316 $2,316

$1,355 €1,217

70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,877 $2,877

$2,603 €2,338

10.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$2,062 €1,853

36.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,069 $5,069

$6,915 €6,211

-26.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,390 $4,390

$5,128 €4,606

-14.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,849 $7,849

$2,211 €1,986

255.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.28

98.48%

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

Last update for Ashland, MA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 63.7%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 41.5% $961

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, MA

$496 13.6%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 35.1% $174

Eating Out

Ashland, MA

$328 9%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 18.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, MA

$276 7.6%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 17.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, MA

$116 3.2%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 36.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, MA

$101 2.8%

Barcelona

$74 3% 27.1% $27

Getting Around

Ashland, MA

$5.9 * 0.2%

Barcelona

$48 2% 723% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,102 in Ashland, MA versus $1,699 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 in Ashland, MA are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Ashland, MA versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $496 vs $322 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

5 h ahead of Ashland, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ashland, MA Barcelona 5,900 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, MA
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

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

Ashland, MA costs about 48% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,457 per month in Ashland, MA and $3,679 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,699 there versus $2,102 in Ashland, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,638 in Ashland, MA and $2,453 in Barcelona. That makes Barcelona about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,104 per month in Ashland, MA and $917 in Barcelona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Barcelona, where all-in costs run around $2,453, than in Ashland, MA at $3,638. In Barcelona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Barcelona – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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