Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Aurora, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,774 in Aurora, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Aurora, IL

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 Aurora, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,453 per month in Barcelona vs $2,774 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Barcelona $2,453
Aurora, IL $2,774

A couple spends around $3,509 per month in Barcelona vs $3,792 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Barcelona $3,509
Aurora, IL $3,792

A family of three spends $4,564 per month in Barcelona vs $4,810 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Barcelona $4,564
Aurora, IL $4,810

Barcelona is about 12% cheaper than Aurora, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Barcelona and Aurora, IL sit above the global median – Barcelona by 80%, Aurora, IL by 104%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.80

$14.22 $14.22

23.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$59.5 $59.5

13.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.15

$11.78 $11.78

14.86%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.87

$5.40 $5.40

-40.93%

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

$2.91 €2.62

$2.89 $2.89

0.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.27 $2.27

-16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$4.85 $4.85

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.07

$7.87 $7.87

-42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.91 $0.91

43.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$3.53 $3.53

-42.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$4.31 $4.31

-57.08%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$3.64 $3.64

32.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.03

$8.92 $8.92

87.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.19

$11.49 $11.49

-20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.64

$16.23 $16.23

21.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$4.62 $4.62

-35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.73 $1.73

16.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$3.73 $3.73

-27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$3.18 $3.18

-11.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.89 $1.89

10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.72 $2.72

-23.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.78 $1.78

-17.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.63 $1.63

-42.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$10.56 $10.56

-34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$13.70 $13.70

-42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.31 $2.31

-38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.81 $2.81

-9.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.27 $2.27

38.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

$96.8 $96.8

-73.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.69

$4.04 $4.04

-25.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.98 $1.98

-24.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.98

$43.86 $43.86

-23.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.09 $1.09

65.14%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

22.37%

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

$31.7K €28.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

22.00%

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

$180 €162

$174 $174

3.69%

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

$13.84 €12.43

$51.5 $51.5

-73.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.27

$55.2 $55.2

-38.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.27

$17.52 $17.52

194.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

$12.19 $12.19

-9.84%

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

$917 €823

$1,470 $1,470

-37.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$23.6K $23.6K

-30.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

$56.2 $56.2

54.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.59

$51.2 $51.2

-24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

$89.2 $89.2

18.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

$80.6 $80.6

48.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

$1,594 $1,594

6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,217

$1,577 $1,577

-14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,338

$2,856 $2,856

-8.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,853

$2,215 $2,215

-6.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,211

$5,141 $5,141

34.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,606

$2,361 $2,361

117.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

$3,880 $3,880

-43.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.45

-49.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aurora, IL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Aurora, IL

$1.6K 56.9% 16.4% $222

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Aurora, IL

$356 12.8% 10.5% $34

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Aurora, IL

$274 9.9% 2.4% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Aurora, IL

$281 10.1% 23.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Aurora, IL

$125 4.5% 21.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Aurora, IL

$42 1.5% 43% $32

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Aurora, IL

$120 4.3% 147% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,594 in Aurora, IL. 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 76% higher in Aurora, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona versus $59 in Aurora, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $322 in Barcelona vs $356 in Aurora, IL – so Barcelona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

180,542

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Aurora, IL 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Aurora, IL

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 Aurora, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aurora, IL costs about 13% more than Barcelona, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,679 per month in Barcelona and $4,161 in Aurora, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,594 in Aurora, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Barcelona and $59 in Aurora, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,774 in Aurora, IL. That makes Barcelona about 12% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,453 in Barcelona to $2,774 in Aurora, IL. 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, Aurora, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.