Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Boise, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,625 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Boise, ID despite lower rent and utilities.

Barcelona, Spain
Boise, ID, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Boise, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Boise, ID

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 Boise, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,625 in Boise, ID.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Boise, ID $2,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,673 in Boise, ID.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Boise, ID $3,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,720 in Boise, ID.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Boise, ID $4,720

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Boise, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Boise, ID 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$19.08 $19.08
-7.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$70.2 $70.2
-3.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$12.90 $12.90
4.88%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$5.89 $5.89
-45.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$2.71 $2.71
7.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$2.03 $2.03
-6.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$6.57 $6.57
-38.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$6.68 $6.68
-32.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.93 $0.93
40.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$3.95 $3.95
-48.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$6.22 $6.22
-70.26%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$4.22 $4.22
14.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$15.93 $15.93
5.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$10.88 $10.88
-16.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$17.24 $17.24
13.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$4.72 $4.72
-36.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.85 $1.85
9.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$4.09 $4.09
-33.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$4.90 $4.90
-42.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.86 $2.86
-26.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.69 $2.69
-23.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.31 $2.31
-36.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.47 $2.47
-61.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$8.84 $8.84
-22.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$15.80 $15.80
-50.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.14 $2.14
-34.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$3.31 $3.31
-23.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$1.54 $1.54
103.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$41.59 $41.59
-38.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$2.61 $2.61
14.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.49 $1.49
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$24.42 $24.42
36.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.20 $1.20
50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$33.9K $33.9K
-2.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$26.1K $26.1K
21.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$176 $176
2.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$56.6 $56.6
-75.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$74.9 $74.9
-54.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$39.94 $39.94
28.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$37.25 $37.25
-57.15%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$12.32 $12.32
-10.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$1,094 $1,094
-16.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$24.0K $24.0K
-31.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$53.8 $53.8
61.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$40.81 $40.81
-5.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$90.0 $90.0
17.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$110 $110
8.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$1,684 $1,684
0.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$1,314 $1,314
3.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$2,630 $2,630
-1.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$1,810 $1,810
13.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$6,719 $6,719
2.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$2,994 $2,994
71.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Boise, ID
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$4,517 $4,517
-51.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.68
-50.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Boise, ID: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Boise, ID
$1.3K 3.1% $42
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Boise, ID
$422 31% $100
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Boise, ID
$327 22.1% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Boise, ID
$308 35% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Boise, ID
$133 16% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Boise, ID
$65 12.1% $8.9
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Boise, ID
$58 19.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,684 in Boise, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boise, ID pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $70 in Boise, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $422 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Boise, ID
🕒 Local time
08:32 8:32 AM
01:32 1:32 AM
7 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
235,684
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Boise, ID 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Boise, ID

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 Boise, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Boise, ID?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,625 in Boise, ID, so Barcelona is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 51% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Boise, ID?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,684 in Boise, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Boise, ID?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,094 in Boise, ID. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Boise, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Boise, ID?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Boise, ID?
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.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Boise, ID?
It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Boise, ID on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?