Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bakersfield, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Bakersfield, CA

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 Bakersfield, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA.

Barcelona $2,453
Bakersfield, CA $2,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,902 in Bakersfield, CA.

Barcelona $3,509
Bakersfield, CA $3,902

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,949 in Bakersfield, CA.

Barcelona $4,564
Bakersfield, CA $4,949

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 14% less than in Bakersfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bakersfield, CA 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.80

$18.64 $18.64

-5.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$64.8 $64.8

4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.15

$14.10 $14.10

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.87

$5.74 $5.74

-44.43%

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

$2.91 €2.62

$2.73 $2.73

6.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.01 $2.01

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$5.90 $5.90

-32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.07

$5.81 $5.81

-22.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.09 $1.09

20.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$4.16 $4.16

-51.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$5.07 $5.07

-63.51%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$3.29 $3.29

46.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.03

$12.75 $12.75

31.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.19

$13.34 $13.34

-31.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.64

$15.93 $15.93

23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$4.16 $4.16

-28.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.04 $2.04

-0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$3.95 $3.95

-31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$3.79 $3.79

-26.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.14 $2.14

-2.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.42 $2.42

-14.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.12 $2.12

-31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$2.48 $2.48

-62.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$11.59 $11.59

-40.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$17.80 $17.80

-55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.97 $1.97

-28.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$4.79 $4.79

-46.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$1.62 $1.62

93.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

$58.1 $58.1

-56.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.69

$3.03 $3.03

-1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$2.07 $2.07

-28.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.52 $1.52

18.42%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

20.71%

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

$31.7K €28.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

16.75%

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

$180 €162

$390 $390

-53.79%

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

$13.84 €12.43

$59.4 $59.4

-76.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.27

$74.9 $74.9

-54.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.27

$32.71 $32.71

57.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

$24.81 $24.81

-35.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

$15.11 $15.11

-27.27%

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

$917 €823

$1,501 $1,501

-38.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

$59.9 $59.9

45.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.59

$47.66 $47.66

-19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

$98.9 $98.9

7.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

$120 $120

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

$1,536 $1,536

10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,217

$1,311 $1,311

3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,338

$1,828 $1,828

42.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,853

$1,834 $1,834

12.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,211

$2,742 $2,742

152.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,606

$2,430 $2,430

111.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

$3,743 $3,743

-40.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.43

-48.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Bakersfield, CA

$1.3K 45.9% 3.3% $44

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Bakersfield, CA

$411 14.4% 27.7% $89

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Bakersfield, CA

$320 11.2% 19.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Bakersfield, CA

$525 18.4% 130% $297

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Bakersfield, CA

$147 5.2% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Bakersfield, CA

$63 2.2% 14.4% $11

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.7% 60.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bakersfield, CA pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $65 in Bakersfield, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $411, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

8 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

373,640

💱 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

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Between locations

Barcelona Bakersfield, CA 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Bakersfield, CA

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 Bakersfield, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bakersfield, CA – a meal for two runs $65 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA – Barcelona is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Bakersfield, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.