Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Des Moines, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Des Moines, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,037 in Des Moines, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,079 in Des Moines, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,122 in Des Moines, IA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than Des Moines, IA, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Des Moines, IA 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$15.78 $15.78

11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$80.3 $80.3

-14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$12.14 $12.14

15.82%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.83 $4.83

-42.44%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$2.32 $2.32

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.92 $1.92

7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$5.02 $5.02

-11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$7.13 $7.13

-35.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$0.97 $0.97

27.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$2.55 $2.55

-20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.24 $2.24

-14.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$3.53 $3.53

-6.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$12.58 $12.58

46.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$10.56 $10.56

-10.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$13.13 $13.13

45.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$4.35 $4.35

-39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.50 $1.50

63.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$3.77 $3.77

-43.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$3.56 $3.56

-19.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.61 $1.61

26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$3.03 $3.03

-38.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$2.24 $2.24

-34.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.12 $1.12

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$7.28 $7.28

-1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$15.29 $15.29

-48.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.77 $1.77

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.97 $3.97

-41.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$1.72 $1.72

73.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$58.1 $58.1

-49.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$2.04 $2.04

125.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.27 $1.27

62.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$19.89 $19.89

46.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.77 $0.77

138.96%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

49.86%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$24.8K $24.8K

31.78%

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

$188 €163

$143 $143

31.43%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$51.9 $51.9

-55.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$53.3 $53.3

-31.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$67.9 $67.9

-15.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$20.05 $20.05

3.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$15.11 $15.11

-25.94%

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

$721 €625

$1,371 $1,371

-47.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$11.8K $11.8K

27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$53.5 $53.5

61.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$42.62 $42.62

-13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$73.3 $73.3

39.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$128 $128

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$1,247 $1,247

22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$914 $914

33.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$1,729 $1,729

55.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$1,484 $1,484

35.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$2,304 $2,304

213.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$2,327 $2,327

122.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$3,631 $3,631

-35.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,247 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 54% 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 $80.0 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $332 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Des Moines, IA differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,037 including rent). Des Moines, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Des Moines, IA earns 54% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,247 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,371 in Des Moines, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,037 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Des Moines, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.