Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alpharetta, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
Learn more

Alpharetta, GA Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Alpharetta, GA

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 Alpharetta, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA.

Barcelona $2,399
Alpharetta, GA $3,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA.

Barcelona $3,410
Alpharetta, GA $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA.

Barcelona $4,421
Alpharetta, GA $5,822

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 20% less than in Alpharetta, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Alpharetta, GA 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$25.92 $25.92

-30.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$81.2 $81.2

-16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$9.82 $9.82

35.23%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$4.87 $4.87

-33.26%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$2.52 $2.52

19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.11 $2.11

-11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$5.78 $5.78

-33.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$7.40 $7.40

-39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.93 $0.93

38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$4.25 $4.25

-52.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$5.73 $5.73

-69.98%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$4.58 $4.58

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$11.41 $11.41

46.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$8.73 $8.73

2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$20.39 $20.39

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$4.61 $4.61

-35.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.14 $2.14

-5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$4.23 $4.23

-35.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$4.41 $4.41

-39.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.65 $3.65

-42.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.71 $3.71

-43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.39 $2.39

-39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$2.77 $2.77

-67.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$8.94 $8.94

-22.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$14.79 $14.79

-47.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.72 $1.72

-15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$3.92 $3.92

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.94 $2.94

1.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$94.2 $94.2

-73.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.08 $3.08

1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.37 $2.37

-39.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$40.78 $40.78

-17.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$0.90 $0.90

98.89%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$32.5K $32.5K

6.70%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

14.41%

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

$178 €158

$252 $252

-29.41%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$53.7 $53.7

-75.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$87.4 $87.4

-60.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$34.02 $34.02

56.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

$22.25 $22.25

-28.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$16.81 $16.81

-34.21%

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

$957 €851

$1,298 $1,298

-26.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$16.0K $16.0K

3.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$77.0 $77.0

14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$44.98 $44.98

-12.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$128 $128

-19.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$139 $139

-12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$2,105 $2,105

-21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$1,488 $1,488

-12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$3,000 $3,000

-14.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$2,491 $2,491

-23.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$7,659 $7,659

-4.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$5,366 $5,366

-5.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

$6,390 $6,390

-64.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.84

-52.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3% 14.3% $186

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7% 29.4% $94

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9% 32.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13% 73.8% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8% 10.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2% 10.3% $7.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4% 155% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 180% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $414 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

65,799

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Alpharetta, GA 7,320 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Alpharetta, GA

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 Alpharetta, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Alpharetta, GA. 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 274% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Barcelona is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alpharetta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Alpharetta, GA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.