Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Anchorage, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $3,290 in Anchorage, AK, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
159

Cost of Living Index in Anchorage, AK
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Anchorage, AK Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Anchorage, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Anchorage, AK

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 Anchorage, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $3,290 in Anchorage, AK.

Barcelona $2,399
Anchorage, AK $3,290

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $4,848 in Anchorage, AK.

Barcelona $3,410
Anchorage, AK $4,848

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $6,406 in Anchorage, AK.

Barcelona $4,421
Anchorage, AK $6,406

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 27% less than in Anchorage, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Anchorage, AK 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$24.72 $24.72

-27.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$99.5 $99.5

-31.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$15.08 $15.08

-11.94%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$6.74 $6.74

-51.78%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$3.24 $3.24

-7.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.52 $2.52

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$8.17 $8.17

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$9.93 $9.93

-54.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.19 $1.19

8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$4.80 $4.80

-57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$6.06 $6.06

-71.62%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$4.25 $4.25

12.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$13.72 $13.72

22.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$12.79 $12.79

-30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$21.40 $21.40

-7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$8.16 $8.16

-63.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.27 $2.27

-10.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$5.60 $5.60

-51.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$6.11 $6.11

-56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.98 $2.98

-29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.16 $3.16

-34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.76 $2.76

-47.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$2.34 $2.34

-61.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$12.67 $12.67

-45.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$17.76 $17.76

-56.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.71 $1.71

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$3.51 $3.51

-26.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.06 $2.06

45.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$60.2 $60.2

-58.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.71 $2.71

15.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.88 $1.88

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$41.68 $41.68

-19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.25 $1.25

43.20%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$33.3K $33.3K

3.89%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

15.60%

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

$178 €158

$413 $413

-56.98%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$90.3 $90.3

-85.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$139 $139

-74.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$91.5 $91.5

-41.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

$40.74 $40.74

-60.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$14.89 $14.89

-25.72%

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

$957 €851

$1,238 $1,238

-22.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$10.5K $10.5K

57.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$48.09 $48.09

83.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$45.27 $45.27

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$113 $113

-9.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$120 $120

1.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$1,778 $1,778

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$1,408 $1,408

-7.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$2,834 $2,834

-9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$2,467 $2,467

-22.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$3,985 $3,985

82.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$2,794 $2,794

81.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

$4,734 $4,734

-51.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.49

-49.46%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Anchorage, AK: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Anchorage, AK

$1.4K 42.8% 8.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Anchorage, AK

$483 14.7% 51% $163

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Anchorage, AK

$408 12.4% 50.9% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Anchorage, AK

$643 19.6% 185% $417

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Anchorage, AK

$147 4.5% 7.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Anchorage, AK

$121 3.7% 60.8% $46

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Anchorage, AK

$81 2.5% 69.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $1,778 in Anchorage, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anchorage, AK pays 108% 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 $99.0 in Anchorage, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $483 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Anchorage, AK

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

08:12 8:12 AM

10 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

289,600

💱 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 Anchorage, AK 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Anchorage, AK

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 Anchorage, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Anchorage, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barcelona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 108% lower in Anchorage, AK. 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 $1,778 in Anchorage, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $99.0 in Anchorage, AK. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,399 per month in Barcelona versus $3,290 in Anchorage, AK – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barcelona delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,399 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barcelona hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Anchorage, AK 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 37% less than in Anchorage, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.