Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL.

Barcelona $2,443
Des Plaines, IL $3,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $4,425 in Des Plaines, IL.

Barcelona $3,519
Des Plaines, IL $4,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $5,828 in Des Plaines, IL.

Barcelona $4,595
Des Plaines, IL $5,828

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 19% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Des Plaines, IL 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.71

$20.75 $20.75

-14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$90.9 $90.9

-25.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.12

$12.75 $12.75

6.75%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$5.50 $5.50

-43.64%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.71 $2.71

10.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.29 $2.29

-15.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$6.54 $6.54

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$7.61 $7.61

-42.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.93 $0.93

34.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$3.38 $3.38

-37.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$4.15 $4.15

-52.53%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$4.06 $4.06

17.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$14.75 $14.75

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$12.32 $12.32

-27.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.38

$17.84 $17.84

15.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$4.42 $4.42

-28.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.57 $1.57

25.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.88 $3.88

-31.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$4.84 $4.84

-40.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.72 $2.72

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.68 $2.68

-18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.14 $2.14

-28.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.36 $2.36

-58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.20

$10.87 $10.87

-35.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$14.89 $14.89

-47.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.62 $2.62

-45.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.47 $3.47

-22.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$2.03 $2.03

63.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.79

$59.2 $59.2

-56.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.16 $3.16

-2.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.70 $1.70

-12.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.25

$24.57 $24.57

33.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.07 $1.07

74.77%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$30.8K $30.8K

7.15%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

23.36%

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

$183 €163

$194 $194

-5.76%

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

$14.24 €12.67

$60.3 $60.3

-76.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.76

$78.9 $78.9

-56.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.76

$127 $127

-59.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.58

$39.49 $39.49

-58.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.85

$14.77 $14.77

-25.12%

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

$944 €840

$1,631 $1,631

-42.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$21.8K $21.8K

2.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$63.6 $63.6

37.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.51

$47.18 $47.18

-17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.0

$104 $104

1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$124 $124

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,510

$2,119 $2,119

-19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$1,557 $1,557

-14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,396

$3,962 $3,962

-32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,848

$2,517 $2,517

-17.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,367

$3,246 $3,246

120.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,520

$2,516 $2,516

101.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,995

$4,731 $4,731

-52.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.79

-53.02%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.6K 51.5% 16.5% $220

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$407 13.5% 24.1% $79

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Des Plaines, IL

$338 11.2% 26.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11% 43.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5% 2.9% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Des Plaines, IL

$156 5.2% 113% $83

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 60% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $2,119 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $91 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $407 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

60,675

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Des Plaines, IL 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, so Barcelona is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $2,119 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $1,631 in Des Plaines, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. 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.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.