Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ellensburg, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Barcelona and in Ellensburg, WA: $2,453 and $2,404 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ellensburg, WA
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Ellensburg, WA Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ellensburg, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,404 in Ellensburg, WA.

Barcelona $2,453
Ellensburg, WA $2,404

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,555 in Ellensburg, WA.

Barcelona $3,509
Ellensburg, WA $3,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,705 in Ellensburg, WA.

Barcelona $4,564
Ellensburg, WA $4,705

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Ellensburg, WA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Ellensburg, WA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$15.25 $15.25

15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$75.2 $75.2

-10.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$12.13 $12.13

11.54%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$5.04 $5.04

-36.71%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$1.54 $1.54

88.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.26 $1.26

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$4.87 $4.87

-17.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$6.09 $6.09

-25.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.98 $0.98

33.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.79 $2.79

-27.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$4.71 $4.71

-60.72%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$4.23 $4.23

14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$15.48 $15.48

8.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$6.66 $6.66

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$13.53 $13.53

45.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$4.60 $4.60

-35.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.43 $1.43

41.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$4.27 $4.27

-36.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$3.96 $3.96

-29.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.51 $1.51

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.22 $2.22

-6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.96 $1.96

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.91 $1.91

-50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$9.89 $9.89

-30.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$13.99 $13.99

-43.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.86 $1.86

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$4.90 $4.90

-48.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.05 $2.05

53.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

$57.6 $57.6

-55.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$5.09 $5.09

-41.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.76 $1.76

-15.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$39.42 $39.42

-15.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.04 $1.04

73.08%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

20.37%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$27.3K $27.3K

16.17%

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

$180 €162

$149 $149

20.93%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$39.60 $39.60

-65.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$71.3 $71.3

-52.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$40.90 $40.90

25.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$15.93 $15.93

-31.01%

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

$917 €821

$1,356 $1,356

-32.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$21.6K $21.6K

-23.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$34.48 $34.48

152.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$34.61 $34.61

11.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$109 $109

-3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$40.10 $40.10

198.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$1,614 $1,614

5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$1,277 $1,277

6.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$2,509 $2,509

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$2,172 $2,172

-5.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$4,531 $4,531

52.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$4,418 $4,418

16.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$1,785 $1,785

23.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.5

-49.54%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 53.1% 5.8% $78

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Ellensburg, WA

$349 14.5% 8.5% $27

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Ellensburg, WA

$267 11.1% 0.5% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Ellensburg, WA

$260 10.8% 14.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Ellensburg, WA

$98 4.1% 37.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Ellensburg, WA

$73 3% 1% $0.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Ellensburg, WA

$80 3.3% 64.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,614 in Ellensburg, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $75 in Ellensburg, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $349 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

02:56 2:56 AM

9 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

18,666

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Ellensburg, WA 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Ellensburg, WA

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 Ellensburg, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 24% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,614 in Ellensburg, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,356 in Ellensburg, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $75 in Ellensburg, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ellensburg, WA 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 Ellensburg, WA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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