Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lawrence, KS Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lawrence, KS

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,190 in Lawrence, KS.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,276 in Lawrence, KS.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,363 in Lawrence, KS.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lawrence, KS, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Lawrence, KS 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$14.81 $14.81

26.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$76.2 $76.2

-8.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$11.01 $11.01

25.07%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.24 $5.24

-40.84%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.57 $2.57

10.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.76 $1.76

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$6.04 $6.04

-34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.65 $7.65

-40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.88 $0.88

44.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.24 $3.24

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.45 $4.45

-60.45%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.90 $3.90

31.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.39 $10.39

72.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.10 $10.10

-4.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$15.00 $15.00

34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.45 $4.45

-26.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.88 $1.88

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$4.90 $4.90

-46.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.62 $3.62

-23.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.75 $1.75

26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.18 $3.18

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.70 $1.70

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.70 $2.70

-64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.12 $7.12

3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$13.84 $13.84

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.76 $1.76

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.58 $1.58

76.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.88 $2.88

13.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.40 $1.40

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$24.69 $24.69

38.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.84 $0.84

105.95%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.2K $22.2K

63.48%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.4K $24.4K

25.08%

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

$187 €163

$268 $268

-30.24%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$68.1 $68.1

-77.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$65.4 $65.4

-42.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$45.43 $45.43

23.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$12.09 $12.09

41.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.77 $11.77

-3.06%

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

$997 €869

$987 $987

0.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$19.6K $19.6K

-15.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$51.4 $51.4

80.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$38.00 $38.00

8.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$80.7 $80.7

37.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$98.4 $98.4

27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,204 $1,204

41.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$914 $914

40.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,946 $1,946

31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,702 $1,702

14.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,349 $2,349

225.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,109 $2,109

144.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,875 $3,875

-39.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.05

-47.77%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lawrence, KS: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,204 in Lawrence, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lawrence, KS pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $363 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Lawrence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lawrence, KS differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,190 including rent). Lawrence, KS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Lawrence, KS. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,204 in Lawrence, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $987 in Lawrence, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lawrence, KS – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,190 in Lawrence, KS versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lawrence, KS but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lawrence, KS 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 Lawrence, KS 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 Lawrence, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.