Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hoffman Estates, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Hoffman Estates, IL
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Hoffman Estates, IL Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Hoffman Estates, IL

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 Hoffman Estates, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Barcelona $2,381
Hoffman Estates, IL $2,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $3,650 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Barcelona $3,406
Hoffman Estates, IL $3,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $4,753 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Barcelona $4,431
Hoffman Estates, IL $4,753

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Hoffman Estates, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Hoffman Estates, IL 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$17.29 $17.29

3.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$66.6 $66.6

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$10.17 $10.17

34.61%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.86 $4.86

-37.04%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$2.76 $2.76

11.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.01 $2.01

-3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$6.40 $6.40

-39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$6.17 $6.17

-25.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.01 $1.01

28.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.43 $3.43

-38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$4.29 $4.29

-57.34%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$4.27 $4.27

8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$12.41 $12.41

39.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$11.38 $11.38

-18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$17.28 $17.28

14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$4.96 $4.96

-39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.59 $1.59

27.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$4.27 $4.27

-37.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$4.60 $4.60

-37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.72 $2.72

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$3.01 $3.01

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.14 $2.14

-31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$2.20 $2.20

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$8.92 $8.92

-22.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$14.93 $14.93

-47.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.21 $2.21

-37.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.87 $2.87

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.05 $2.05

41.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$3.37 $3.37

-10.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.52 $1.52

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$30.23 $30.23

9.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.22 $1.22

52.46%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

22.52%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

17.16%

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

$183 €163

$222 $222

-17.71%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$59.5 $59.5

-77.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$68.7 $68.7

-52.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$41.74 $41.74

31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$13.87 $13.87

-19.03%

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

$954 €849

$1,385 $1,385

-31.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-34.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$58.7 $58.7

46.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$40.85 $40.85

-4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$90.1 $90.1

15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$122 $122

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$1,618 $1,618

4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$1,283 $1,283

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$2,803 $2,803

-8.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$2,029 $2,029

-5.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$2,652 $2,652

174.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$2,396 $2,396

109.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$2,390 $2,390

-6.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.57

-50.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hoffman Estates, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$1.3K 50.4% 0.5% $7

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$395 15.5% 21.5% $70

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$291 11.4% 7.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$350 13.7% 52.7% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$140 5.5% 10.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$69 2.7% 10% $7.7

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$19 * 0.8% 59.5% $28

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 $1,695 in Barcelona and $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hoffman Estates, IL pays 7% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $395 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Hoffman Estates, IL

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

22:56 10:56 PM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

51,895

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Hoffman Estates, IL 7,100 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Hoffman Estates, IL

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 Hoffman Estates, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hoffman Estates, IL differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $2,548 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Hoffman Estates, IL. 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $1,385 in Hoffman Estates, IL. 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 $66.0 versus $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona 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 Hoffman Estates, IL 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Hoffman Estates, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.