Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fargo, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Fargo, ND: $2,127 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Fargo, ND, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Fargo, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,127
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,127 in Fargo, ND.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Fargo, ND $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,227 in Fargo, ND.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Fargo, ND $3,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,327 in Fargo, ND.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Fargo, ND $4,327

Living in Barcelona is roughly 15% more expensive than in Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Fargo, ND 56% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.71
$17.17 $17.17
2.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$59.0 $59.0
14.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.08
$11.95 $11.95
13.22%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.85
$5.41 $5.41
-41.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$2.56 $2.56
13.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.94 $1.94
-2.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.58
$5.36 $5.36
-25.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$8.83 $8.83
-48.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.23 $1.23
6.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.80
$3.40 $3.40
-40.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$7.63 $7.63
-75.75%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.32
$4.08 $4.08
18.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.95
$14.93 $14.93
12.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.14
$15.52 $15.52
-41.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.53
$21.08 $21.08
-6.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$10.28 $10.28
-71.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.34 $2.34
-13.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.41
$6.51 $6.51
-58.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$5.40 $5.40
-48.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$5.10 $5.10
-59.02%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$3.76 $3.76
-44.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.95 $1.95
-25.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.74 $2.74
-65.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.14
$8.60 $8.60
-20.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$18.58 $18.58
-57.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.62 $2.62
-46.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$5.63 $5.63
-54.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.81
$2.03 $2.03
54.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.72
$42.10 $42.10
-39.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.67
$4.58 $4.58
-34.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.80
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.97 $0.97
85.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$27.4K $27.4K
21.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$25.3K $25.3K
25.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €161
$138 $138
30.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.36
$58.1 $58.1
-76.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.09
$56.5 $56.5
-40.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.00
$52.0 $52.0
-0.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.25
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.82
$13.96 $13.96
-21.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €819
$1,247 $1,247
-26.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.7
$49.85 $49.85
74.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.39
$47.16 $47.16
-18.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.5
$84.2 $84.2
25.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$101 $101
18.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,518
$1,013 $1,013
67.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,210
$790 $790
71.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,324
$1,627 $1,627
59.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,842
$1,363 $1,363
51.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,175
$2,459 $2,459
181.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,579
$1,688 $1,688
203.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Fargo, ND
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,974
$3,858 $3,858
-42.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.43
-48.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Fargo, ND
$790 41.7% $565
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Fargo, ND
$522 62.3% $200
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Fargo, ND
$300 12.2% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Fargo, ND
$253 11% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Fargo, ND
$127 19.7% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Fargo, ND
$80 8.7% $6.4
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Fargo, ND
$55 * 13% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,013 in Fargo, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fargo, ND 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $59 in Fargo, ND. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $522, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Fargo, ND
🕒 Local time
19:33 7:33 PM
13:33 1:33 PM
6 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
90,056
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Fargo, ND 7,370 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Fargo, ND?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,127 in Fargo, ND, so Fargo, ND is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 43% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Fargo, ND?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,013 in Fargo, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Fargo, ND?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,247 in Fargo, ND. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fargo, ND is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Fargo, ND?
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.
Is Barcelona or Fargo, ND safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Fargo, ND are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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