Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Abilene, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,314 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Abilene, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Abilene, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,314 in Abilene, TX.

Barcelona $2,453
Abilene, TX $2,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,215 in Abilene, TX.

Barcelona $3,509
Abilene, TX $3,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,115 in Abilene, TX.

Barcelona $4,564
Abilene, TX $4,115

Living in Barcelona is roughly 6% more expensive than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Abilene, TX 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$17.87 $17.87

-1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$66.2 $66.2

1.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$8.81 $8.81

53.58%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$5.52 $5.52

-42.21%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$2.42 $2.42

20.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.87 $1.87

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$4.90 $4.90

-18.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$5.57 $5.57

-18.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.03 $1.03

27.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.40 $2.40

-15.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$5.68 $5.68

-67.43%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$3.74 $3.74

29.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$8.68 $8.68

92.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$13.02 $13.02

-29.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$14.43 $14.43

36.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.32 $3.32

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.03 $1.03

96.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$4.78 $4.78

-43.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$5.41 $5.41

-48.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$4.25 $4.25

-50.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$3.58 $3.58

-42.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.42 $2.42

-39.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.95 $1.95

-51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$8.91 $8.91

-22.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$11.28 $11.28

-30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.61 $2.61

-45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$3.88 $3.88

-34.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$1.72 $1.72

82.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

$53.1 $53.1

-52.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$15.20 $15.20

119.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$0.90 $0.90

100.00%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

45.16%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

21.19%

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

$180 €162

$239 $239

-24.56%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$57.6 $57.6

-75.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$63.0 $63.0

-46.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$16.81 $16.81

206.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$12.08 $12.08

-9.02%

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

$917 €821

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$43.00 $43.00

102.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$20.34 $20.34

89.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$62.7 $62.7

68.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$65.8 $65.8

81.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$1,000 $1,000

69.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$1,106 $1,106

22.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$1,309 $1,309

98.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$1,537 $1,537

34.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$2,109 $2,109

227.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$1,716 $1,716

198.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$3,448 $3,448

-35.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.49

-49.46%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Abilene, TX

$1.1K 47.8% 18.4% $249

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Abilene, TX

$372 16.1% 15.5% $50

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Abilene, TX

$288 12.5% 7.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Abilene, TX

$360 15.6% 57.8% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.7% 45.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Abilene, TX

$41 1.8% 44.3% $33

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.6% 23.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abilene, TX pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $66 in Abilene, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $372, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

23:29 11:29 PM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

125,182

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Abilene, TX 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Abilene, TX

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

Barcelona vs Abilene, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,314 in Abilene, TX, so Abilene, TX is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 52% less than in Abilene, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $2,314 in Abilene, TX – Abilene, TX is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Abilene, TX gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.