Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Joplin, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Joplin, MO: $2,055 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Joplin, MO, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Joplin, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,055
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,055 in Joplin, MO.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Joplin, MO $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,808 in Joplin, MO.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Joplin, MO $2,808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,560 in Joplin, MO.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Joplin, MO $3,560

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than in Joplin, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Joplin, MO 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.69
$14.81 $14.81
18.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.2
$59.3 $59.3
13.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.07
$10.30 $10.30
31.36%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.85
$4.59 $4.59
-30.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$1.95 $1.95
49.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.87 $1.87
1.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.58
$4.88 $4.88
-17.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$5.89 $5.89
-23.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.16
$0.89 $0.89
47.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.71 $2.71
-25.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$2.09 $2.09
-11.48%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$3.17 $3.17
52.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.93
$8.77 $8.77
90.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.14
$6.90 $6.90
32.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.52
$17.61 $17.61
11.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$3.92 $3.92
-23.98%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.19 $1.19
69.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.41
$2.52 $2.52
7.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.13 $2.13
31.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.26 $1.26
65.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.32 $2.32
-10.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.81 $1.81
-19.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.26 $2.26
-58.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.13
$9.55 $9.55
-28.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$15.02 $15.02
-47.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.71 $1.71
-17.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$1.47 $1.47
72.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.80
$1.97 $1.97
59.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.70
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.67
$2.43 $2.43
23.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.59 $1.59
-6.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.78
$40.22 $40.22
-17.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$0.77 $0.77
133.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$27.9K $27.9K
18.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$25.5K $25.5K
24.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €161
$276 $276
-34.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.35
$42.40 $42.40
-67.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.06
$70.1 $70.1
-51.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.96
$14.86 $14.86
246.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.81
$13.57 $13.57
-19.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €818
$901 $901
1.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
$15.9K $15.9K
3.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.7
$39.99 $39.99
117.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.35
$31.28 $31.28
23.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.4
$101 $101
5.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$71.3 $71.3
67.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,516
$1,266 $1,266
34.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,209
$939 $939
44.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,322
$1,695 $1,695
53.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,840
$1,262 $1,262
63.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,169
$1,483 $1,483
366.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,575
$1,492 $1,492
243.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Joplin, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,972
$3,311 $3,311
-33.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.49
-49.46%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Joplin, MO: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Joplin, MO
$939 30.7% $416
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Joplin, MO
$303 6% $19
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Joplin, MO
$256 4.5% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Joplin, MO
$388 70.4% $160
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Joplin, MO
$110 30.7% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Joplin, MO
$42 42.8% $31
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Joplin, MO
$18 * 62.3% $30

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 $1,266 in Joplin, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joplin, MO pays 50% 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 Joplin, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $303 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Joplin, MO
🕒 Local time
16:56 4:56 PM
09:56 9:56 AM
7 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
51,762
💱 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 Joplin, MO 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Joplin, MO?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,055 in Joplin, MO, so Joplin, MO is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 33% 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 Joplin, MO?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,266 in Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $901 in Joplin, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Joplin, MO – a meal for two runs $59 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Joplin, 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.
Is Barcelona or Joplin, MO safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Joplin, MO are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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