Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Appleton, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Appleton, WI: $2,144 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Appleton, WI, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Appleton, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,144
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Appleton, WI

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 Appleton, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Barcelona vs $2,144 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Appleton, WI $2,144

A couple spends around $3,519 per month in Barcelona vs $3,066 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Appleton, WI $3,066

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Barcelona vs $3,988 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Appleton, WI $3,988

Barcelona costs about 14% more than Appleton, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Barcelona and Appleton, WI sit above the global median – Barcelona by 81%, Appleton, WI by 59%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.69
$17.87 $17.87
-1.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €59.9
$64.1 $64.1
5.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.09
$10.92 $10.92
24.63%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.75
$5.50 $5.50
-43.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$2.64 $2.64
13.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$2.23 $2.23
-13.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.41
$4.52 $4.52
-15.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.87
$6.18 $6.18
-29.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.01 $1.01
23.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$3.01 $3.01
-29.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$5.18 $5.18
-61.97%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.23
$4.73 $4.73
0.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.16
$13.46 $13.46
26.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.96
$8.31 $8.31
7.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.34
$15.28 $15.28
35.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$5.01 $5.01
-36.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.36 $1.36
44.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$3.10 $3.10
-14.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.56
$4.48 $4.48
-35.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.05 $2.05
0.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.68 $2.68
-18.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.07 $2.07
-26.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$2.98 $2.98
-67.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.19
$10.91 $10.91
-36.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.01
$15.18 $15.18
-48.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.77 $1.77
-19.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$3.34 $3.34
-19.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$1.96 $1.96
68.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.75
$60.1 $60.1
-57.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$3.27 $3.27
-5.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.70 $1.70
-12.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.20
$24.93 $24.93
31.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.02 $1.02
83.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$35.4K $35.4K
-6.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$25.4K $25.4K
25.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €162
$173 $173
5.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.65
$44.76 $44.76
-68.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.70
$60.5 $60.5
-42.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.68
$15.16 $15.16
239.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.55
$41.00 $41.00
-60.05%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.83
$14.64 $14.64
-24.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €838
$1,825 $1,825
-48.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$10.3K $10.3K
115.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €77.9
$40.75 $40.75
115.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.44
$24.68 $24.68
57.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €92.9
$50.2 $50.2
108.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$108 $108
9.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,507
$1,337 $1,337
26.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,187
$967 $967
38.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,391
$2,394 $2,394
12.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,845
$1,374 $1,374
51.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,356
$2,423 $2,423
195.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,512
$2,038 $2,038
149.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Appleton, WI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,991
$4,160 $4,160
-46.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
6.37
-49.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Appleton, WI
$967 27.6% $369
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Appleton, WI
$377 15.1% $49
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Appleton, WI
$296 10.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Appleton, WI
$278 20.2% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Appleton, WI
$101 35.9% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Appleton, WI
$44 39.6% $29
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Appleton, WI
$80 61.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,337 in Appleton, WI. 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 Appleton, WI, 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 $67 in Barcelona versus $64 in Appleton, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in Barcelona vs $377 in Appleton, WI – so Barcelona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Appleton, WI
🕒 Local time
13:22 1:22 PM
06:22 6:22 AM
7 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
74,139
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Appleton, WI 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Appleton, WI

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 Appleton, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Appleton, WI cheaper than Barcelona?
Yes – Barcelona is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,664 per month in Barcelona and $3,216 in Appleton, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Appleton, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,337 there versus $1,697 in Barcelona.
What are total monthly expenses in Barcelona and in Appleton, WI?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,144 in Appleton, WI. That makes Appleton, WI about 12% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 57% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is it better to live in Barcelona or in Appleton, WI?
It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,144 in Appleton, WI to $2,443 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Barcelona or Appleton, WI?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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