Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alton Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,482 per month in Barcelona vs $2,682 in Alton, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in Barcelona vs $3,939 in Alton, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,613 per month in Barcelona vs $5,195 in Alton, rent included.

Barcelona is about 7% cheaper than Alton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Barcelona and Alton sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Alton by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$26.89 £19.87

-31.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$108 £79.7

-35.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.89 £8.05

29.02%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$5.72 £4.23

-45.63%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.09 £2.28

-4.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.13 £1.58

-8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$9.51 £7.03

-58.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$8.83 £6.52

-47.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.93 £1.43

-31.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.09 £1.54

0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.49 £1.84

-26.51%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.43 £2.54

50.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$12.90 £9.54

36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$10.96 £8.10

-13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$18.38 £13.59

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.18 £2.35

-0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.43 £1.05

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.92 £2.16

-10.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.37 £2.49

-15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.69 £1.25

28.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.83 £1.35

15.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.53 £1.13

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.86 £1.37

-52.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$23.91 £17.67

-70.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$10.70 £7.91

-22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.38 £1.76

-36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.77 £2.05

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.44 £2.54

-8.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$105 £77.5

-74.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$5.77 £4.26

-44.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.44 £2.54

-56.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$24.69 £18.25

42.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.13 £1.57

-17.84%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$39.4K £29.2K

-7.06%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$41.7K £30.8K

-24.01%

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

$187 €161

$373 £276

-49.87%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$19.00 £14.04

-20.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$42.08 £31.10

-10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$40.73 £30.11

36.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$17.92 £13.25

-34.65%

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

$1,011 €871

$2,962 £2,189

-65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$36.7K £27.1K

-53.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$114 £84.2

-19.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$54.9 £40.59

-25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$129 £95.3

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$158 £117

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,065 £787

59.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,036 £766

25.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,015 £1,489

28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,901 £1,405

1.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$5,034 £3,720

53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$3,650 £2,698

47.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.61

-31.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Alton: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,065 in Alton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Barcelona versus $108 in Alton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $342 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona, $2,682 in Alton – roughly 8% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,724 per month in Barcelona and $4,022 in Alton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 300% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,011 per month in Barcelona and $2,962 in Alton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Barcelona, where all-in costs run around $2,482, than in Alton at $2,682. In Barcelona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,482 in Barcelona to $2,682 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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