Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Allentown, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Allentown, PA
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Allentown, PA Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Allentown, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Allentown, PA

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 Allentown, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

Barcelona $2,453
Allentown, PA $2,765

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $3,896 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

Barcelona $3,509
Allentown, PA $3,896

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $5,027 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

Barcelona $4,564
Allentown, PA $5,027

Barcelona is about 11% cheaper than Allentown, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Barcelona and Allentown, PA sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Allentown, PA by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.80

$19.81 $19.81

-11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$91.8 $91.8

-26.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.15

$12.23 $12.23

10.63%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.87

$5.60 $5.60

-43.04%

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

$2.91 €2.62

$2.62 $2.62

11.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.57 $1.57

20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$4.92 $4.92

-18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.07

$5.84 $5.84

-22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.19 $1.19

10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.10 $2.10

-3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.43 $2.43

-23.87%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$3.65 $3.65

32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.03

$15.62 $15.62

7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.19

$8.37 $8.37

8.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.64

$18.95 $18.95

3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$6.78 $6.78

-56.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.65 $1.65

22.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.86 $2.86

-5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$6.65 $6.65

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.68 $2.68

-22.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$3.30 $3.30

-37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.23 $2.23

-34.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$2.53 $2.53

-62.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$11.71 $11.71

-41.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$14.72 $14.72

-46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.33 $2.33

-39.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.71 $2.71

-6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.55 $2.55

23.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

$61.0 $61.0

-58.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.69

$2.94 $2.94

1.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$2.20 $2.20

-32.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.98

$41.24 $41.24

-19.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.10 $1.10

63.64%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

21.94%

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

$31.7K €28.5K

$26.5K $26.5K

19.71%

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

$180 €162

$188 $188

-4.06%

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

$13.84 €12.43

$54.2 $54.2

-74.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.27

$70.6 $70.6

-52.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.27

$30.16 $30.16

70.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

$25.42 $25.42

-37.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

$13.03 $13.03

-15.66%

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

$917 €823

$1,204 $1,204

-23.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$11.8K $11.8K

39.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

$37.88 $37.88

129.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.59

$51.3 $51.3

-24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

$89.7 $89.7

17.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

$118 $118

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

$1,668 $1,668

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,217

$1,470 $1,470

-7.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,338

$2,481 $2,481

4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,853

$2,048 $2,048

0.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,211

$2,166 $2,166

219.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,606

$1,905 $1,905

169.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

$3,074 $3,074

-28.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.43

-48.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Allentown, PA

$1.5K 53.2% 8.4% $115

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Allentown, PA

$392 14.2% 21.7% $70

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Allentown, PA

$315 11.4% 17.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Allentown, PA

$313 11.3% 37.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Allentown, PA

$134 4.8% 15.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Allentown, PA

$56 2% 23.5% $17

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Allentown, PA

$85 3.1% 75.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,668 in Allentown, PA. 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 39% higher in Allentown, PA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $92 in Allentown, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $392 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Allentown, PA

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

5 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

120,443

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Allentown, PA 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Allentown, PA

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 Allentown, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Allentown, PA costs about 13% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $4,147 in Allentown, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,668 in Allentown, PA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $917 per month in Barcelona and $1,204 in Allentown, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,453 in Barcelona to $2,765 in Allentown, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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