Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, TN and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, TN: $2,116 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Athens, TN, United States
Barcelona, Spain
Athens, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,116
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Athens, TN vs $2,443 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Athens, TN $2,116
  • Barcelona $2,443

A couple spends around $3,286 per month in Athens, TN vs $3,519 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Athens, TN $3,286
  • Barcelona $3,519

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Athens, TN vs $4,595 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Athens, TN $4,457
  • Barcelona $4,595

Athens, TN is about 13% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Athens, TN and Barcelona sit above the global median – Athens, TN by 56%, Barcelona by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.07 $30.07
$17.66 €15.75
70.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 $108
$67.5 €60.2
60.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.95 $11.95
$13.61 €12.14
-12.20%
Cappuccino
$5.70 $5.70
$3.10 €2.77
83.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$3.00 €2.68
-2.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.93 €1.72
17.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.52 $6.52
$3.84 €3.43
69.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.90 $7.90
$4.36 €3.89
81.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.25 €1.11
-24.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.12 €1.90
21.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$1.97 €1.76
99.49%
Eggs
$4.19 $4.19
$4.76 €4.25
-11.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.83 $13.83
$17.07 €15.22
-18.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.68 $6.68
$8.96 €7.99
-25.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.75 $19.75
$20.65 €18.42
-4.36%
Apples (1kg)
$5.82 $5.82
$3.16 €2.82
84.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.97 €1.75
-24.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.61 $5.61
$2.65 €2.37
111.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$2.88 €2.57
79.51%
Potato (1kg)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.06 €1.84
71.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.18 €1.95
22.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.53 €1.37
40.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.97 €0.87
71.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.83 $6.83
$6.97 €6.21
-2.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.29 $15.29
$7.89 €7.04
93.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.90 $3.90
$1.42 €1.26
174.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.87 $4.87
$2.69 €2.40
81.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.19 $2.19
$3.31 €2.95
-33.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.5 $53.5
$25.61 €22.84
108.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.41 $3.41
$3.08 €2.75
10.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.48 €1.32
3.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.47 $24.47
$32.87 €29.32
-25.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.87 €1.66
-49.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K $36.1K
$33.0K €29.4K
9.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$31.9K €28.5K
-17.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$221 $221
$183 €163
20.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.4 $74.4
$14.24 €12.70
422.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.7 $55.7
$34.56 €30.83
61.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 $37.88
$51.4 €45.87
-26.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.38 €14.62
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.21 $8.21
$11.06 €9.87
-25.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,784 $1,784
$944 €842
89.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.8K $34.8K
$22.3K €19.9K
56.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 $52.6
$87.7 €78.2
-39.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.25 $45.25
$38.77 €34.59
16.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.9 $95.9
$105 €93.3
-8.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 $108
$118 €105
-8.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$861 $861
$1,697 €1,514
-49.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$695 $695
$1,337 €1,192
-47.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,465 $1,465
$2,692 €2,401
-45.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 $1,184
$2,077 €1,853
-43.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,813 $2,813
$7,155 €6,382
-60.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,313 $2,313
$5,079 €4,530
-54.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens, TN
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,189 $8,189
$2,241 €1,999
265.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
3.19
109.09%

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

Last update for Athens, TN: November 3, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens, TN
$695
Barcelona
$1.3K 92.3% $641
Eating Out
Athens, TN
$414
Barcelona
$267 35.5% $147
Groceries & Markets
Athens, TN
$392
Barcelona
$328 16.5% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens, TN
$351
Barcelona
$232 33.9% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Athens, TN
$136
Barcelona
$157 15.7% $21
Getting Around
Athens, TN
$73
Barcelona
$49 32.7% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Athens, TN
$54
Barcelona
$74 35.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $861 in Athens, TN versus $1,697 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 Athens, TN are about 3.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Athens, TN versus $67 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $328 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Athens, TN
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
12:49 12:49 PM
18:49 6:49 PM
6 h ahead of Athens, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
115,452
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens, TN Barcelona 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens, TN
  • 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
Athens, TN vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens, TN or Barcelona?
Barcelona costs about 15% more than Athens, TN, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Athens, TN and in Barcelona?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Athens, TN and $3,664 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Athens, TN or Barcelona?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $861 there versus $1,697 in Barcelona.
How expensive is transport in Athens, TN compared to Barcelona?
Public transport costs about 52% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens, TN and in Barcelona?
Kindergarten costs $1,784 per month in Athens, TN and $944 in Barcelona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens, TN or in Barcelona?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,116 in Athens, TN and $2,443 in Barcelona. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens, TN or Barcelona?
It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,116 in Athens, TN to $2,443 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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