Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,895 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
Learn more

Alton, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,381 per month in Barcelona vs $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Barcelona $2,381
Alton, IL $1,895

A couple spends around $3,406 per month in Barcelona vs $2,862 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Barcelona $3,406
Alton, IL $2,862

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Barcelona vs $3,829 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Barcelona $4,431
Alton, IL $3,829

Barcelona costs about 26% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Barcelona and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Barcelona by 76%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$20.77 $20.77

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$55.6 $55.6

19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$11.17 $11.17

22.56%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.95 $4.95

-38.18%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$1.46 $1.46

110.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.74 $1.74

11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$3.89 $3.89

-0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$5.88 $5.88

-21.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.81 $0.81

60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.59 $2.59

-18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$3.13 $3.13

-41.53%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$3.16 $3.16

46.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$9.32 $9.32

86.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$6.74 $6.74

37.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$23.42 $23.42

-15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$4.26 $4.26

-29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.18 $1.18

72.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$5.18 $5.18

-48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$4.89 $4.89

-41.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.21 $2.21

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.74 $2.74

-21.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.10 $2.10

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$2.10 $2.10

-58.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$11.08 $11.08

-37.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$12.05 $12.05

-35.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.83 $1.83

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.67 $2.67

-1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$2.96 $2.96

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.69 $1.69

-14.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.98 $0.98

89.80%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

16.08%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

21.97%

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

$183 €163

$331 $331

-44.81%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$43.44 $43.44

-68.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$77.7 $77.7

-57.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$27.07 $27.07

102.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.95 $11.95

-6.03%

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

$954 €849

$279 $279

241.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$40.36 $40.36

113.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$42.75 $42.75

-8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$65.4 $65.4

58.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$76.1 $76.1

55.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$763 $763

122.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$627 $627

103.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$1,099 $1,099

134.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$1,275 $1,275

50.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$1,513 $1,513

381.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$1,455 $1,455

244.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$3,813 $3,813

-41.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

-45.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Alton, IL

$627 33.1% 50.9% $649

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Alton, IL

$349 18.4% 7.4% $24

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Alton, IL

$303 16% 12.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Alton, IL

$452 23.9% 97.3% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Alton, IL

$101 5.3% 35.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Alton, IL

$51 2.7% 33.9% $26

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 75.8% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Barcelona versus $763 in Alton, IL. 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 71% higher in Alton, IL, 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 $66.0 in Barcelona versus $56.0 in Alton, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Barcelona vs $349 in Alton, IL – so Barcelona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

22:11 10:11 PM

15:11 3:11 PM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

25,676

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Alton, IL 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 26% more than Alton, IL, 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 $3,571 per month in Barcelona and $2,842 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,381 in Barcelona and $1,895 in Alton, IL. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $954 per month in Barcelona and $279 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Barcelona at $2,381. In Alton, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alton, IL costs $1,895 versus $2,381 in Barcelona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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