Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Houghton, MI Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Houghton, MI

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,494 in Houghton, MI.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,605 in Houghton, MI.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,716 in Houghton, MI.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 6% less than in Houghton, MI, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Houghton, MI 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$12.77 $12.77

38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$39.89 $39.89

70.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$10.17 $10.17

37.27%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.08 $4.08

-32.35%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.73 $2.73

1.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.56 $1.56

26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.96 $5.96

-23.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.88 $6.88

-34.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.09 $1.09

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$3.60 $3.60

-43.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$4.48 $4.48

-57.37%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$4.07 $4.07

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$12.41 $12.41

47.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$11.49 $11.49

-18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$15.28 $15.28

23.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$5.04 $5.04

-47.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.56 $1.56

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$4.36 $4.36

-51.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$4.82 $4.82

-43.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.76 $2.76

-25.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.80 $2.80

-36.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.03 $2.03

-27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$2.18 $2.18

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$9.32 $9.32

-24.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$15.07 $15.07

-49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.78 $1.78

-19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.42 $3.42

-32.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$1.96 $1.96

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.49 $3.49

29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.59 $1.59

34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$28.62 $28.62

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$0.84 $0.84

125.00%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

29.67%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

24.44%

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

$189 €161

$186 $186

1.60%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$53.5 $53.5

-58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$66.7 $66.7

-45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$42.63 $42.63

36.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$13.27 $13.27

-17.03%

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

$731 €622

$1,322 $1,322

-44.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$23.2K $23.2K

-36.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$51.8 $51.8

72.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$40.51 $40.51

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$87.0 $87.0

20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$110 $110

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,612 $1,612

-3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$1,340 $1,340

-9.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$2,600 $2,600

7.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$2,266 $2,266

-11.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$1,552 $1,552

361.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,586 $1,586

216.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,606 $2,606

-5.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.51

-47.93%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Houghton, MI: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,612 in Houghton, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays 6% 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: $68 in Barcelona vs $40 in Houghton, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $392, 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 Houghton, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Houghton, MI differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,494 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Houghton, MI earns 6% less. 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,612 in Houghton, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Houghton, MI. 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 $68.0 versus $40.00 in Houghton, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,494 in Houghton, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. 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 Houghton, MI 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 6% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.