Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barnstable, MA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Barnstable, MA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,354 in Barnstable, MA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,517 in Barnstable, MA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,680 in Barnstable, MA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 6% more expensive than in Barnstable, MA, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Barnstable, MA 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$18.04 $18.04

1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$75.8 $75.8

-8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$10.03 $10.03

40.88%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.94 $3.94

-20.56%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.20 $2.20

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.65 $1.65

18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.95 $4.95

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$6.94 $6.94

-31.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.09 $1.09

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.94 $2.94

-26.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$4.22 $4.22

-59.95%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.17 $4.17

18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$6.41 $6.41

178.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$8.61 $8.61

11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$8.79 $8.79

120.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$4.11 $4.11

-21.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.71 $1.71

27.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.51 $4.51

-40.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.54 $3.54

-21.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.15 $2.15

2.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.13 $2.13

2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.98 $1.98

-23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$2.51 $2.51

-63.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$12.47 $12.47

-42.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$13.10 $13.10

-37.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.15 $2.15

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$4.07 $4.07

-31.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.04 $2.04

54.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$35.13 $35.13

-23.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.51 $3.51

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.56 $3.56

-57.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$26.33 $26.33

32.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.95 $0.95

84.21%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$37.3K $37.3K

-1.71%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$23.6K $23.6K

31.15%

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

$188 €161

$98.1 $98.1

91.21%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$59.1 $59.1

-73.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$64.8 $64.8

-41.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$41.02 $41.02

39.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$23.54 $23.54

-28.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$13.81 $13.81

-16.15%

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

$1,003 €863

$1,827 $1,827

-45.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$30.5K $30.5K

-44.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$56.3 $56.3

58.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$37.67 $37.67

8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$81.2 $81.2

35.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$99.5 $99.5

23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,590 $1,590

5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$1,269 $1,269

4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$2,489 $2,489

4.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$2,148 $2,148

-9.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,720 $2,720

178.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,405 $2,405

123.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$4,709 $4,709

-48.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.04

-47.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barnstable, MA: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,590 in Barnstable, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $76.0 in Barnstable, MA. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $323, with Barnstable, MA cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barnstable, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Barnstable, MA differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,354 including rent). Barnstable, MA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Barnstable, MA. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,590 in Barnstable, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $1,827 in Barnstable, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,354 in Barnstable, MA versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barnstable, MA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Barnstable, MA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Barnstable, MA 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 Barnstable, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.