Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elizabeth City, NC Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elizabeth City, NC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,506 in Elizabeth City, NC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,569 in Elizabeth City, NC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,633 in Elizabeth City, NC.

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Elizabeth City, NC; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Elizabeth City, NC 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$11.93 $11.93

54.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$35.69 $35.69

93.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$11.19 $11.19

26.27%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$5.93 $5.93

-47.22%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.46 $2.46

22.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.95 $1.95

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.85 $5.85

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$6.93 $6.93

-31.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.88 $0.88

42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.82 $3.82

-43.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.16 $3.16

-46.52%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.59 $4.59

7.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$10.89 $10.89

64.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$10.23 $10.23

-6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$17.86 $17.86

8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$4.29 $4.29

-24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.29 $1.29

68.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.34 $4.34

-38.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.51 $4.51

-38.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.18 $2.18

1.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.26 $2.26

-3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.06 $2.06

-26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$2.16 $2.16

-57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$9.48 $9.48

-24.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$15.02 $15.02

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.16 $2.16

-30.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.64 $2.64

5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.25 $2.25

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.05 $3.05

6.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.85 $1.85

-18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$17.74 $17.74

96.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.93 $0.93

88.17%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.1K $35.1K

4.49%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

22.29%

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

$188 €161

$198 $198

-5.06%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$57.2 $57.2

-73.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$59.4 $59.4

-36.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$44.31 $44.31

29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$14.85 $14.85

-22.02%

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

$1,003 €863

$1,485 $1,485

-32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$24.1K $24.1K

-29.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$54.2 $54.2

64.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$40.09 $40.09

1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$87.3 $87.3

26.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$145 $145

-15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,565 $1,565

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$1,288 $1,288

3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$2,541 $2,541

2.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$2,136 $2,136

-8.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,458 $2,458

208.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,157 $2,157

148.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.2

-49.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,565 in Elizabeth City, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $376, 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 Elizabeth City, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $3,759 in Elizabeth City, NC 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,565 in Elizabeth City, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $1,485 in Elizabeth City, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Elizabeth City, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,506 in Elizabeth City, NC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 Elizabeth City, NC are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Elizabeth City, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.