Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Decatur, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, IL: $1,725 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, IL
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Decatur, IL Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Decatur, 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 Decatur, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,725 in Decatur, IL.

Barcelona $2,399
Decatur, IL $1,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $2,654 in Decatur, IL.

Barcelona $3,410
Decatur, IL $2,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $3,582 in Decatur, IL.

Barcelona $4,421
Decatur, IL $3,582

Living in Barcelona is roughly 39% more expensive than in Decatur, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Decatur, IL 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$19.96 $19.96

-10.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$83.4 $83.4

-18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$8.74 $8.74

51.95%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$5.41 $5.41

-39.93%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$2.24 $2.24

34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.66 $1.66

12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$5.02 $5.02

-23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$6.12 $6.12

-26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.34 $1.34

-3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$3.06 $3.06

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.03 $2.03

-15.27%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$4.74 $4.74

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$13.87 $13.87

20.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$14.86 $14.86

-39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$13.08 $13.08

51.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$4.31 $4.31

-30.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.02 $2.02

0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$4.03 $4.03

-32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$3.27 $3.27

-18.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.91 $0.91

130.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.09 $1.09

90.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.48 $1.48

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$3.07 $3.07

-71.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$15.87 $15.87

-56.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$14.81 $14.81

-47.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.20 $2.20

-34.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.99 $1.99

29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.17 $3.17

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.42 $1.42

1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$25.28 $25.28

32.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.16 $1.16

54.31%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$37.0K $37.0K

-6.28%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

17.88%

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

$178 €158

$85.6 $85.6

107.70%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$67.2 $67.2

-80.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$60.2 $60.2

-42.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$74.7 $74.7

-28.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$11.82 $11.82

-6.43%

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

$957 €851

$1,525 $1,525

-37.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$32.0K $32.0K

-48.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$68.1 $68.1

29.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$51.5 $51.5

-23.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$101 $101

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$144 $144

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$867 $867

90.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$551 $551

136.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$993 $993

157.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$805 $805

137.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$940 $940

674.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$941 $941

440.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

$4,599 $4,599

-50.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.77

-51.55%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Decatur, IL

$551 31.9% 57.7% $751

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Decatur, IL

$385 22.3% 20.2% $65

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Decatur, IL

$304 17.6% 12.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Decatur, IL

$213 12.3% 5.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Decatur, IL

$164 9.5% 3.7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Decatur, IL

$98 5.7% 30.5% $23

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Decatur, IL

$10 * 0.6% 78.3% $37

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 $1,653 in Barcelona and $867 in Decatur, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Decatur, IL pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $83.0 in Decatur, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $385 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

18:47 6:47 PM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

77,047

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Decatur, IL 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Decatur, IL

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 Decatur, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Decatur, IL differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,725 including rent). Decatur, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Decatur, 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $867 in Decatur, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Decatur, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Decatur, IL – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,725 in Decatur, IL versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Decatur, IL but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Decatur, 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 Decatur, 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 Decatur, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.