Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ashland, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $3,666 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
177

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ashland, MA

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 Ashland, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Barcelona vs $3,666 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Barcelona $2,443
Ashland, MA $3,666

A couple spends around $3,519 per month in Barcelona vs $4,760 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Barcelona $3,519
Ashland, MA $4,760

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Barcelona vs $5,853 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Barcelona $4,595
Ashland, MA $5,853

Barcelona is about 33% cheaper than Ashland, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Barcelona and Ashland, MA sit above the global median – Barcelona by 81%, Ashland, MA by 171%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$19.95 $19.95

-11.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$74.3 $74.3

-9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

$12.89 $12.89

5.59%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$5.09 $5.09

-39.10%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.87 $2.87

4.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.54 $2.54

-24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$5.89 $5.89

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$8.26 $8.26

-47.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$4.56 $4.56

-53.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$16.38 $16.38

-87.97%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$6.09 $6.09

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$17.81 $17.81

-4.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

$10.54 $10.54

-14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

$19.44 $19.44

6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$5.43 $5.43

-41.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$4.38 $4.38

-55.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.25 $3.25

-18.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$3.00 $3.00

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.25 $2.25

-8.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.47 $2.47

-11.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.75 $2.75

-44.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.94 $2.94

-67.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$13.39 $13.39

-47.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$17.01 $17.01

-53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.83 $1.83

-22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.75 $2.75

-2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.64 $3.64

-15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.21 $2.21

-33.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

$48.19 $48.19

-31.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.95 $0.95

96.84%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$27.7K $27.7K

18.99%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

22.58%

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

$183 €162

$197 $197

-7.29%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$36.92 $36.92

-61.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$61.0 $61.0

-43.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$74.9 $74.9

-31.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

$45.60 $45.60

-64.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$12.60 $12.60

-12.22%

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

$944 €838

$2,164 $2,164

-56.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$35.1K $35.1K

-36.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

$38.44 $38.44

128.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

$16.21 $16.21

139.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

$100 $100

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$99.1 $99.1

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$2,082 $2,082

-18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$2,317 $2,317

-42.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$2,812 $2,812

-4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$2,843 $2,843

-26.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

$4,942 $4,942

44.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

$4,270 $4,270

18.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

$8,146 $8,146

-72.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.51

-51.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ashland, MA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 63.2% 73.3% $980

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Ashland, MA

$498 13.6% 52% $170

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Ashland, MA

$327 8.9% 22.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Ashland, MA

$295 8.1% 27.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Ashland, MA

$114 3.1% 27.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Ashland, MA

$100 2.7% 36.1% $27

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Ashland, MA

$15 * 0.4% 70.2% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Barcelona versus $2,082 in Ashland, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ashland, MA are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $74 in Ashland, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $498 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

18:28 6:28 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

21,684

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Ashland, MA 5,900 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Ashland, MA

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 Ashland, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, MA costs about 50% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $5,499 in Ashland, MA. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,697 there versus $2,082 in Ashland, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $3,666 in Ashland, MA. That makes Barcelona about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $944 per month in Barcelona and $2,164 in Ashland, MA. 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 $2,443, than in Ashland, MA at $3,666. In Barcelona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Barcelona – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Barcelona. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.