Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burlington, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burlington, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,788 in Burlington, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $2,657 in Burlington, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $3,526 in Burlington, IA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Burlington, IA 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$11.51 $11.51

49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$59.9 $59.9

18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$8.91 $8.91

57.35%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$5.53 $5.53

-49.73%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.96 $1.96

41.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.03 $2.03

0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$3.44 $3.44

31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$4.48 $4.48

4.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$0.82 $0.82

57.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.65 $2.65

-19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$8.23 $8.23

-76.55%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.03 $3.03

15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$14.77 $14.77

25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$12.88 $12.88

-26.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$15.19 $15.19

24.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$4.86 $4.86

-46.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.89 $1.89

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.74 $4.74

-56.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$5.07 $5.07

-43.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.00 $3.00

-34.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.38 $2.38

-22.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.80 $1.80

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$2.50 $2.50

-64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$9.22 $9.22

-26.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$12.06 $12.06

-35.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.70 $1.70

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$3.95 $3.95

-41.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$1.65 $1.65

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$20.33 $20.33

40.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$3.59 $3.59

27.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.60 $1.60

33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$29.03 $29.03

1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.94 $0.94

91.49%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

67.88%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$24.1K $24.1K

37.90%

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

$185 €162

$173 $173

6.60%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$52.4 $52.4

-56.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$50.4 $50.4

-27.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$50.6 $50.6

14.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$11.05 $11.05

-1.99%

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

$727 €637

$715 $715

1.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$23.3K $23.3K

-36.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$44.04 $44.04

98.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$30.60 $30.60

22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$67.7 $67.7

52.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$37.41 $37.41

216.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$629 $629

147.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$662 $662

84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$1,053 $1,053

160.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$1,186 $1,186

67.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,043 $1,043

617.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$1,018 $1,018

411.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$4,416 $4,416

-46.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.52

-48.01%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $629 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $60.0 in Burlington, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $405, 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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Burlington, IA differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,788 including rent). Burlington, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Burlington, IA. 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $629 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $715 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,788 in Burlington, IA versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA 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 Burlington, IA 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 Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.