Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gloucester, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,837 in Gloucester, MA, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Gloucester, MA, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Gloucester, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Gloucester, MA

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 Gloucester, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,837 in Gloucester, MA.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Gloucester, MA $2,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $4,132 in Gloucester, MA.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Gloucester, MA $4,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $5,426 in Gloucester, MA.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Gloucester, MA $5,426

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 14% less than in Gloucester, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Gloucester, MA 110% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.79
$19.07 $19.07
-7.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$72.6 $72.6
-7.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.17
$11.23 $11.23
21.19%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$4.62 $4.62
-32.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$2.33 $2.33
28.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.99 $1.99
-3.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.44
$6.60 $6.60
-41.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.90
$6.86 $6.86
-36.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.01 $1.01
23.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$3.53 $3.53
-39.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$4.26 $4.26
-53.76%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.26
$4.07 $4.07
16.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.26
$12.32 $12.32
38.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €8.01
$11.76 $11.76
-23.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.46
$17.20 $17.20
20.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.83
$5.03 $5.03
-37.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.68 $1.68
17.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$4.38 $4.38
-39.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$4.73 $4.73
-39.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$2.79 $2.79
-26.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.87 $2.87
-24.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$2.20 $2.20
-30.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$2.21 $2.21
-56.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.23
$10.23 $10.23
-31.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.05
$14.76 $14.76
-46.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
$2.07 $2.07
-31.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
$3.64 $3.64
-26.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.96
$2.05 $2.05
61.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.90
$59.2 $59.2
-56.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.76
$3.51 $3.51
-12.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.97 $1.97
-24.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.40
$34.18 $34.18
-3.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.12 $1.12
66.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$30.7K $30.7K
7.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.6K
$29.6K $29.6K
7.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €164
$198 $198
-7.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.73
$58.8 $58.8
-75.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.91
$70.8 $70.8
-51.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.98
$40.79 $40.79
26.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.65
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.89
$13.04 $13.04
-15.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €844
$1,307 $1,307
-27.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$18.5K $18.5K
20.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.4
$53.8 $53.8
62.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.67
$41.76 $41.76
-7.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.5
$148 $148
-29.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$113 $113
4.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,517
$1,761 $1,761
-3.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,195
$1,496 $1,496
-10.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,407
$3,041 $3,041
-11.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,857
$2,490 $2,490
-16.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,398
$2,715 $2,715
163.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,542
$2,439 $2,439
108.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Gloucester, MA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €2,004
$2,429 $2,429
-7.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
6.59
-51.59%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gloucester, MA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Gloucester, MA
$1.5K 11.9% $159
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Gloucester, MA
$399 21.8% $71
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Gloucester, MA
$306 14.5% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Gloucester, MA
$328 41.5% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Gloucester, MA
$161 2.3% $3.6
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Gloucester, MA
$67 9.1% $6.7
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Gloucester, MA
$81 63.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,761 in Gloucester, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gloucester, MA pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $73 in Gloucester, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $399 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Gloucester, MA
🕒 Local time
17:41 5:41 PM
11:41 11:41 AM
6 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
29,729
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Gloucester, MA 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Gloucester, MA

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 Gloucester, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Gloucester, MA?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,837 in Gloucester, MA, so Barcelona is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 8% 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 Gloucester, MA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,761 in Gloucester, MA. 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 Gloucester, MA?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $1,307 in Gloucester, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Gloucester, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Gloucester, MA?
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 Gloucester, MA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Gloucester, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Gloucester, MA?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Gloucester, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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