Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Houston, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $2,723 in Houston, MO, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Houston, MO despite lower rent and utilities.

Barcelona, Spain
Houston, MO, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Houston, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,723
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,723 in Houston, MO.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Houston, MO $2,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $4,001 in Houston, MO.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Houston, MO $4,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $5,280 in Houston, MO.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Houston, MO $5,280

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 10% less than in Houston, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Houston, MO 100% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.69
$17.75 $17.75
-0.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.2
$76.2 $76.2
-11.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.07
$11.85 $11.85
14.18%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.85
$5.19 $5.19
-38.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$2.32 $2.32
25.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.70 $1.70
11.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.58
$5.68 $5.68
-29.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$6.87 $6.87
-34.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.24 $1.24
5.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.80
$3.94 $3.94
-48.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$5.68 $5.68
-67.43%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$3.91 $3.91
23.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.93
$13.10 $13.10
27.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.14
$15.55 $15.55
-41.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.52
$20.90 $20.90
-6.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$8.32 $8.32
-64.18%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.30 $2.30
-12.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.41
$5.58 $5.58
-51.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$5.26 $5.26
-46.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$4.31 $4.31
-51.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$5.08 $5.08
-59.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.79 $2.79
-47.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.82 $2.82
-66.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.13
$7.97 $7.97
-13.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$15.26 $15.26
-48.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.25
$2.80 $2.80
-49.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$3.39 $3.39
-25.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.80
$1.73 $1.73
81.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.70
$63.1 $63.1
-59.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.67
$3.42 $3.42
-12.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.58 $1.58
-5.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.78
$40.50 $40.50
-17.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$0.98 $0.98
83.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$28.4K $28.4K
16.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$26.1K $26.1K
21.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €161
$243 $243
-25.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.35
$68.3 $68.3
-79.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.06
$75.7 $75.7
-55.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.96
$36.13 $36.13
42.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.81
$14.26 $14.26
-22.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €818
$1,379 $1,379
-33.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
$23.9K $23.9K
-31.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.7
$58.7 $58.7
48.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.35
$39.41 $39.41
-2.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.4
$87.5 $87.5
20.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$118 $118
1.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,516
$1,375 $1,375
23.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,209
$1,262 $1,262
7.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,322
$2,531 $2,531
2.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,840
$2,108 $2,108
-2.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,169
$2,479 $2,479
178.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,575
$2,695 $2,695
90.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Houston, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,972
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.72
-51.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Houston, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Houston, MO
$1.3K 6.9% $93
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Houston, MO
$493 53.3% $171
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Houston, MO
$298 11.3% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Houston, MO
$386 69.5% $159
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Houston, MO
$136 13.6% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Houston, MO
$65 12% $8.8
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Houston, MO
$81 67.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,375 in Houston, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $76 in Houston, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $493 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Houston, MO
🕒 Local time
14:45 2:45 PM
07:45 7:45 AM
7 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
2,304,580
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Houston, MO 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Houston, MO?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,723 in Houston, MO, so Barcelona is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Houston, MO?
You’d need roughly $3,679 in Barcelona and $4,084 in Houston, MO to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Houston, MO?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,375 in Houston, MO. 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 Houston, MO?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,379 in Houston, MO. 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 53% higher in Houston, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Houston, MO?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Houston, MO?
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.

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