Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Amherst, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,512 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Amherst, NY despite lower rent and utilities.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Amherst, NY

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 Amherst, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Barcelona vs $2,512 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

Barcelona $2,443
Amherst, NY $2,512

A couple spends around $3,519 per month in Barcelona vs $3,853 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

Barcelona $3,519
Amherst, NY $3,853

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Barcelona vs $5,195 in Amherst, NY, rent included.

Barcelona $4,595
Amherst, NY $5,195

Barcelona is about 3% cheaper than Amherst, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Barcelona and Amherst, NY sit above the global median – Barcelona by 81%, Amherst, NY by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$18.08 $18.08

-2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$78.0 $78.0

-13.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

$12.17 $12.17

11.83%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$5.94 $5.94

-47.81%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.75 $2.75

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.06 $2.06

-6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$6.93 $6.93

-44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$7.58 $7.58

-42.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.88 $0.88

42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$3.32 $3.32

-36.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$4.32 $4.32

-54.40%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$3.96 $3.96

20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$11.06 $11.06

54.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

$9.98 $9.98

-10.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

$15.86 $15.86

30.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$4.91 $4.91

-35.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.43 $1.43

37.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$4.39 $4.39

-39.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$5.26 $5.26

-45.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.72 $2.72

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.95 $2.95

-26.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.40 $2.40

-36.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.47 $2.47

-60.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$15.03 $15.03

-53.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$15.05 $15.05

-47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.00 $2.00

-29.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.12 $4.12

-34.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.95 $1.95

69.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

$54.1 $54.1

-52.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.83 $2.83

8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.05 $2.05

-27.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

$20.01 $20.01

64.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.18 $1.18

58.47%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$30.6K $30.6K

7.68%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

23.91%

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

$183 €162

$234 $234

-21.83%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$51.7 $51.7

-72.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$66.3 $66.3

-47.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$40.31 $40.31

27.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

$19.77 $19.77

-17.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$12.88 $12.88

-14.13%

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

$944 €838

$1,263 $1,263

-25.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$18.9K $18.9K

17.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

$53.7 $53.7

63.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

$44.22 $44.22

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

$96.1 $96.1

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$115 $115

2.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$1,547 $1,547

9.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$1,174 $1,174

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$2,716 $2,716

-0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$2,269 $2,269

-8.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

$2,775 $2,775

157.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

$2,351 $2,351

116.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

$4,179 $4,179

-46.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.52

-51.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Amherst, NY: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Amherst, NY

$1.2K 46.7% 12.2% $163

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Amherst, NY

$384 15.3% 17.3% $57

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Amherst, NY

$322 12.8% 20.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Amherst, NY

$352 14% 51.9% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Amherst, NY

$139 5.5% 11.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Amherst, NY

$66 2.6% 10.2% $7.5

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Amherst, NY

$75 3% 52% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,547 in Amherst, NY. 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 86% higher in Amherst, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $78 in Amherst, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $384 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

37,819

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Amherst, NY 6,400 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Amherst, NY

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 Amherst, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, NY costs about 3% 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 $3,664 per month in Barcelona and $3,767 in Amherst, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,547 in Amherst, NY. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $944 per month in Barcelona and $1,263 in Amherst, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Amherst, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,512 in Amherst, NY, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,443 in Barcelona to $2,512 in Amherst, NY. 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, Amherst, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.