Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bismarck, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Bismarck, ND: $2,355 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
Learn more

Bismarck, ND Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,355 in Bismarck, ND.

Barcelona $2,443
Bismarck, ND $2,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $3,453 in Bismarck, ND.

Barcelona $3,519
Bismarck, ND $3,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $4,551 in Bismarck, ND.

Barcelona $4,595
Bismarck, ND $4,551

Living in Barcelona is roughly 4% more expensive than in Bismarck, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Bismarck, ND 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.79

$29.75 $29.75

-40.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$69.5 $69.5

-2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.17

$17.29 $17.29

-21.28%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

$6.16 $6.16

-49.68%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$2.60 $2.60

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.80 $1.80

7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.44

$5.45 $5.45

-29.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.90

$6.95 $6.95

-37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.00 $1.00

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.59 $2.59

-18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.13 $2.13

-7.51%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.26

$2.68 $2.68

77.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.26

$7.87 $7.87

116.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.01

$12.98 $12.98

-30.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.46

$16.16 $16.16

27.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$3.48 $3.48

-9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.72 $1.72

14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$3.11 $3.11

-14.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$4.40 $4.40

-34.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.90 $1.90

8.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.64 $2.64

-17.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.20 $2.20

-30.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$2.80 $2.80

-65.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.23

$8.63 $8.63

-19.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.05

$20.29 $20.29

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.82 $1.82

-21.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$3.93 $3.93

-31.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.96

$1.53 $1.53

116.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.90

$35.49 $35.49

-27.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.76

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$0.92 $0.92

103.26%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

21.46%

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

$31.9K €28.6K

$22.6K $22.6K

41.65%

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

$183 €164

$207 $207

-11.76%

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

$14.24 €12.73

$73.9 $73.9

-80.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.91

$83.7 $83.7

-58.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.98

$33.94 $33.94

51.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.89

$12.06 $12.06

-8.29%

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

$944 €844

$809 $809

16.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$9,125 $9,125

144.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.4

$66.3 $66.3

32.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.67

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$95.3 $95.3

9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$79.6 $79.6

47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,517

$1,010 $1,010

67.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,195

$995 $995

34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,407

$1,526 $1,526

76.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,857

$1,631 $1,631

27.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,398

$2,440 $2,440

193.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,542

$1,971 $1,971

157.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,004

$4,378 $4,378

-48.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.84

-53.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bismarck, ND: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Bismarck, ND

$995 42.2% 25.6% $342

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5% 11.4% $37

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Bismarck, ND

$423 17.9% 58.3% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5% 57.5% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.6% 30.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Bismarck, ND

$58 2.5% 21.1% $15

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Bismarck, ND

$42 * 1.8% 15.7% $7.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,010 in Bismarck, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $70 in Bismarck, ND for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $365 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

58,333

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Bismarck, ND 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Bismarck, ND

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 Bismarck, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,355 in Bismarck, ND, so Bismarck, ND is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,010 in Bismarck, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $809 in Bismarck, ND. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bismarck, ND gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Bismarck, ND are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.