Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Denver

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $2,666 in Denver, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Denver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,666 in Denver.

Barcelona $2,399
Denver $2,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $3,649 in Denver.

Barcelona $3,410
Denver $3,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $4,631 in Denver.

Barcelona $4,421
Denver $4,631

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 10% less than in Denver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Denver 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$16.94 A$24.37

5.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$95.2 A$137

-28.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$10.72 A$15.43

23.88%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$4.40 A$6.33

-26.14%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$2.80 A$4.03

7.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.56 A$3.68

-26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$7.83 A$11.27

-50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$7.46 A$10.74

-39.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.34 A$1.92

-3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.99 A$4.31

-31.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.53 A$3.65

-32.02%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$5.49 A$7.89

-13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$9.75 A$14.02

72.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$10.54 A$15.16

-15.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$12.60 A$18.12

57.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.81 A$5.48

-21.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$3.12 A$4.49

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.04 A$4.37

-10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$5.08 A$7.31

-47.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.84 A$4.09

-26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.18 A$3.14

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.40 A$3.45

-39.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$1.44 A$2.07

-38.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$43.07 A$62.0

-83.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$14.42 A$20.76

-46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$4.92 A$7.08

-70.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$5.47 A$7.86

-53.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.65 A$3.82

12.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$89.0 A$128

-71.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.98 A$5.73

-21.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.63 A$2.34

-11.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$38.09 A$54.8

-12.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.44 A$2.07

24.31%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$29.0K A$41.7K

19.45%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$31.1K A$44.8K

-3.34%

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

$178 €158

$210 A$302

-15.12%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$27.33 A$39.33

-51.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$58.6 A$84.3

-40.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$53.3 A$76.7

-0.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

$18.34 A$26.39

-12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$16.27 A$23.41

-32.02%

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

$957 €851

$2,199 A$3,165

-56.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$22.6K A$32.6K

-26.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$68.2 A$98.2

29.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$48.94 A$70.4

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$104 A$150

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$126 A$181

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$1,283 A$1,846

28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$1,346 A$1,938

-3.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$1,924 A$2,769

32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$1,630 A$2,345

17.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$6,041 A$8,692

20.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$4,705 A$6,770

7.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.84

-43.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Denver: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Denver

$1.3K 50.5% 3.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Denver

$375 14.1% 17% $54

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Denver

$296 11.1% 9.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Denver

$295 11.1% 30.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Denver

$156 5.9% 1.3% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Denver

$86 3.2% 13.9% $10

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Denver

$112 4.2% 135% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $1,283 in Denver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $95.0 in Denver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $375 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇦🇺 Denver

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

04:35 4:35 AM

9 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

149

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Denver 16,750 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Denver

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 Denver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Denver differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,666 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,599 in Barcelona and $4,000 in Denver 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $1,283 in Denver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $2,199 in Denver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Denver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,666 in Denver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Denver. 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 Denver 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 11% less than in Denver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.