Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ames, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ames, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,156 in Ames, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,230 in Ames, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,303 in Ames, IA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 15% more expensive than in Ames, IA, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Ames, IA 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$17.75 $17.75

3.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$52.6 $52.6

31.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$11.96 $11.96

17.47%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$5.07 $5.07

-38.66%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.69 $2.69

10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.29 $2.29

-14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.98 $3.98

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.10 $7.10

-34.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.91 $0.91

45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.53 $3.53

-40.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.23 $3.23

-43.34%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.49 $3.49

47.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$10.33 $10.33

69.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$14.21 $14.21

-33.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$18.92 $18.92

5.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$5.87 $5.87

-46.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.88 $1.88

17.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$6.68 $6.68

-60.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.13 $5.13

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$4.40 $4.40

-50.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.82 $3.82

-44.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.33 $2.33

-30.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$2.52 $2.52

-65.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$12.83 $12.83

-44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$16.03 $16.03

-48.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.77 $2.77

-45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$5.01 $5.01

-45.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.02 $1.02

207.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$34.74 $34.74

-24.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$4.90 $4.90

-34.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.74 $1.74

-13.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$23.90 $23.90

47.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.87 $0.87

101.15%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

44.43%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$26.0K $26.0K

21.87%

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

$187 €161

$156 $156

19.76%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$54.5 $54.5

-72.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$67.8 $67.8

-44.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$67.0 $67.0

-17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$20.39 $20.39

-17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$16.11 $16.11

-27.31%

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

$1,011 €871

$1,372 $1,372

-26.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$36.2K $36.2K

-52.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$57.1 $57.1

59.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$44.88 $44.88

-8.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$88.7 $88.7

24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$105 $105

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,003 $1,003

69.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$812 $812

59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,815 $1,815

42.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,504 $1,504

28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,389 $2,389

223.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,211 $2,211

143.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$3,580 $3,580

-33.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.02

-47.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,003 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $439, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Ames, IA. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,003 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 32% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $1,372 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,156 in Ames, IA versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ames, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,156 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ames, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Ames, IA 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 Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.