Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Carbondale, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,759 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Carbondale, IL

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 Carbondale, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,759 in Carbondale, IL.

Barcelona $2,381
Carbondale, IL $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $2,131 in Carbondale, IL.

Barcelona $3,406
Carbondale, IL $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $2,503 in Carbondale, IL.

Barcelona $4,431
Carbondale, IL $2,503

Living in Barcelona is roughly 35% more expensive than in Carbondale, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Carbondale, IL 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$17.85 $17.85

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$38.28 $38.28

72.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$9.16 $9.16

49.45%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$5.12 $5.12

-40.23%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$2.29 $2.29

34.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.94 $1.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$4.59 $4.59

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$8.20 $8.20

-43.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.92 $0.92

41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.10 $3.10

-32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$4.12 $4.12

-55.58%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$3.71 $3.71

24.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$13.28 $13.28

30.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$11.47 $11.47

-19.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$18.80 $18.80

5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$5.60 $5.60

-46.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.80 $1.80

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$5.92 $5.92

-55.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$4.91 $4.91

-41.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.62 $1.62

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.40 $2.40

-10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.64 $2.64

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$2.16 $2.16

-59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$9.04 $9.04

-23.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$13.13 $13.13

-40.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.60 $1.60

64.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$2.03 $2.03

47.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.39 $1.39

3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$19.64 $19.64

69.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.03 $1.03

80.58%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

17.54%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

16.18%

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

$183 €163

$185 $185

-1.38%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$85.5 $85.5

-84.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$75.6 $75.6

-56.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.92 $11.92

-5.79%

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

$954 €849

$1,702 $1,702

-43.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

-32.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$46.99 $46.99

83.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$33.23 $33.23

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$83.1 $83.1

24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$150 $150

-21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$656 $656

158.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$554 $554

130.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$994 $994

632.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$1,003 $1,003

399.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$3,801 $3,801

-41.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.6

-50.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Carbondale, IL

$554 31.5% 56.6% $722

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.5% 21.9% $71

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Carbondale, IL

$288 16.4% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Carbondale, IL

$346 19.7% 51.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Carbondale, IL

$141 8% 9.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4% 69.1% $53

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5% 81% $38

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 $1,695 in Barcelona and $656 in Carbondale, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Carbondale, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $396, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

05:20 5:20 AM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

24,881

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona Carbondale, IL 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
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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 Carbondale, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Carbondale, IL differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $1,759 including rent). Carbondale, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Carbondale, IL. 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $656 in Carbondale, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $1,702 in Carbondale, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Carbondale, IL – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,759 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL 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 Carbondale, IL 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 Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.