Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Dorado, AR Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Dorado, AR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,694 in El Dorado, AR.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,420 in El Dorado, AR.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,147 in El Dorado, AR.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 40% more expensive than El Dorado, AR, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, El Dorado, AR 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$17.71 $17.71

-0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$58.9 $58.9

16.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$11.69 $11.69

20.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.78 $4.78

-41.84%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$2.82 $2.82

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.47 $2.47

-16.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$4.90 $4.90

-8.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$5.86 $5.86

-21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.08 $1.08

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$3.42 $3.42

-40.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$3.00 $3.00

-36.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.91 $2.91

13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$9.73 $9.73

89.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$11.41 $11.41

-16.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$16.97 $16.97

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$4.30 $4.30

-38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.47 $1.47

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.87 $2.87

-26.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$3.90 $3.90

-26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.55 $1.55

31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.50 $2.50

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.91 $1.91

-23.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.79 $1.79

-53.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$8.68 $8.68

-17.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$11.81 $11.81

-33.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.72 $1.72

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.18 $2.18

5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$2.05 $2.05

45.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$2.44 $2.44

88.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.48 $1.48

39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$23.61 $23.61

23.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.78 $0.78

135.90%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$23.8K $23.8K

63.94%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$26.4K $26.4K

23.94%

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

$188 €163

$136 $136

38.58%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$58.1 $58.1

-60.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$39.84 $39.84

-7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$42.34 $42.34

35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$9.24 $9.24

21.10%

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

$721 €625

$1,020 $1,020

-29.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$18.9K $18.9K

-20.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$54.8 $54.8

57.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$35.28 $35.28

5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$78.4 $78.4

30.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$60.5 $60.5

91.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$1,603 $1,603

-4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$607 $607

101.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$2,200 $2,200

22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$809 $809

148.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$2,421 $2,421

198.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$2,433 $2,433

113.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$4,130 $4,130

-42.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.58

-48.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Dorado, AR: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,603 in El Dorado, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Dorado, AR pays 75% 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 $59.0 in El Dorado, AR. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $342, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 El Dorado, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and El Dorado, AR differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,694 including rent). El Dorado, AR is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, El Dorado, AR earns 75% 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 $1,603 in El Dorado, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,020 in El Dorado, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Dorado, AR – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. El Dorado, AR is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 El Dorado, AR 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 El Dorado, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.