Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brookings, SD Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brookings, SD

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,579 in Brookings, SD.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,706 in Brookings, SD.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $4,833 in Brookings, SD.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 9% less than in Brookings, SD, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Brookings, SD 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$17.34 $17.34

-1.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$39.52 $39.52

72.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$11.42 $11.42

19.44%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.57 $4.57

-39.17%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.47 $2.47

14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.03 $2.03

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$5.96 $5.96

-25.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$6.83 $6.83

-32.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.97 $0.97

30.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.54 $3.54

-39.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$5.26 $5.26

-62.17%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.22 $4.22

-20.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.36 $11.36

66.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$14.43 $14.43

-33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.11 $12.11

54.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$6.25 $6.25

-57.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.54 $1.54

52.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$7.01 $7.01

-70.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$5.47 $5.47

-50.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.09 $3.09

-36.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$3.85 $3.85

-52.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.50 $2.50

-39.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.86 $1.86

-52.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$11.88 $11.88

-42.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$11.86 $11.86

-33.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.24 $2.24

-38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$5.05 $5.05

-52.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.94 $1.94

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$4.63 $4.63

-1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.68 $1.68

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$23.77 $23.77

20.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.91 $0.91

100.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$30.5K $30.5K

28.77%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

27.45%

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

$187 €162

$160 $160

16.45%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$50.8 $50.8

-56.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$67.7 $67.7

-46.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$43.76 $43.76

31.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$12.01 $12.01

-10.32%

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

$725 €628

$1,614 $1,614

-55.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$26.1K $26.1K

-41.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$42.09 $42.09

108.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$34.71 $34.71

6.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$89.5 $89.5

15.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$118 $118

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,622 $1,622

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,327 $1,327

-7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,617 $2,617

4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$2,225 $2,225

-10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,768 $2,768

169.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$3,154 $3,154

66.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.5

-38.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,622 in Brookings, SD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Brookings, SD. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $416, with Barcelona 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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Brookings, SD differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,579 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $3,868 in Brookings, SD to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,622 in Brookings, SD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $1,614 in Brookings, SD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $40.00 in Brookings, SD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,579 in Brookings, SD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Brookings, SD. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Brookings, SD 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Brookings, SD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.