Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Albuquerque, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Albuquerque, NM: $2,273 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Albuquerque, NM
Learn more

Albuquerque, NM Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Albuquerque, NM

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 Albuquerque, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $2,273 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Barcelona $2,453
Albuquerque, NM $2,273

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $3,323 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Barcelona $3,509
Albuquerque, NM $3,323

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $4,373 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Barcelona $4,564
Albuquerque, NM $4,373

Barcelona costs about 8% more than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Barcelona and Albuquerque, NM sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Albuquerque, NM by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$16.66 $16.66

5.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$67.7 $67.7

-0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$9.81 $9.81

37.92%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$5.05 $5.05

-36.83%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$3.01 $3.01

-3.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.36 $2.36

-19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$5.97 $5.97

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$8.15 $8.15

-44.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.98 $0.98

33.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$3.16 $3.16

-36.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$4.44 $4.44

-58.33%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$4.91 $4.91

-1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$11.79 $11.79

41.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$9.59 $9.59

-4.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$20.51 $20.51

-4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$4.84 $4.84

-38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.44 $1.44

40.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$4.24 $4.24

-36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$5.13 $5.13

-45.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$3.21 $3.21

-34.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$3.37 $3.37

-38.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.97 $1.97

-25.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$2.76 $2.76

-65.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$10.81 $10.81

-36.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$13.97 $13.97

-43.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.50 $2.50

-43.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$3.67 $3.67

-30.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$3.69 $3.69

-18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.96 $1.96

-23.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$32.61 $32.61

2.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.01 $1.01

78.22%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$29.9K $29.9K

11.09%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$25.0K $25.0K

26.98%

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

$180 €162

$159 $159

13.62%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$63.3 $63.3

-78.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$71.6 $71.6

-52.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$40.01 $40.01

28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

$13.97 $13.97

14.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$12.91 $12.91

-14.87%

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

$917 €821

$1,326 $1,326

-30.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

-33.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$53.3 $53.3

63.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$43.45 $43.45

-11.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$106 $106

-0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$119 $119

0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$1,451 $1,451

17.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$1,060 $1,060

27.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$2,562 $2,562

1.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$1,673 $1,673

23.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$2,677 $2,677

158.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$2,140 $2,140

139.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$4,064 $4,064

-45.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.57

-50.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 46.6% 21.8% $296

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Albuquerque, NM

$404 17.8% 25.6% $82

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Albuquerque, NM

$291 12.8% 8.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Albuquerque, NM

$294 12.9% 28.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Albuquerque, NM

$145 6.4% 8.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Albuquerque, NM

$66 2.9% 10.4% $7.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Albuquerque, NM

$13 * 0.6% 72.2% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,451 in Albuquerque, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 84% higher in Albuquerque, NM, 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 $67 in Barcelona versus $68 in Albuquerque, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $404 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

04:10 4:10 AM

8 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

564,559

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Albuquerque, NM 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Albuquerque, NM

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 Albuquerque, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 8% more than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $3,409 in Albuquerque, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Albuquerque, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,451 there versus $1,699 in Barcelona.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,273 in Albuquerque, NM. That makes Albuquerque, NM about 7% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Barcelona – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,273 in Albuquerque, NM. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,273 in Albuquerque, NM to $2,453 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.