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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,076 in Lawrence, KS.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,282 in Lawrence, KS.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $4,488 in Lawrence, KS.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than Lawrence, KS, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Lawrence, KS 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$15.14 $15.14

16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$73.6 $73.6

-4.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$10.10 $10.10

35.25%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$5.14 $5.14

-46.69%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.95 $2.95

-5.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.92 $1.92

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.03 $5.03

-13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$7.13 $7.13

-35.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.85 $0.85

51.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.63 $2.63

-22.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$4.26 $4.26

-53.52%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.35 $3.35

1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$11.69 $11.69

59.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$11.09 $11.09

-13.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.65 $15.65

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$6.50 $6.50

-57.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.26 $2.26

9.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$5.01 $5.01

-58.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.84 $3.84

-26.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.78 $1.78

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.70 $2.70

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.53 $1.53

-1.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$2.47 $2.47

-63.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$7.77 $7.77

-9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$13.16 $13.16

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.82 $1.82

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.57 $1.57

45.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.52 $0.52

453.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$25.14 $25.14

12.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$2.93 $2.93

49.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.38 $1.38

55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$24.92 $24.92

16.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.77 $0.77

141.56%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.4K $35.4K

10.16%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

24.00%

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

$189 €163

$326 $326

-42.00%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$52.4 $52.4

-56.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$65.8 $65.8

-44.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$44.79 $44.79

28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$12.09 $12.09

76.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$11.92 $11.92

-9.31%

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

$726 €625

$919 $919

-20.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$24.4K $24.4K

-38.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$54.1 $54.1

62.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$34.94 $34.94

5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$94.5 $94.5

9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$91.7 $91.7

27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$964 $964

63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$810 $810

50.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,558 $1,558

74.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$1,803 $1,803

9.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,422 $2,422

222.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$2,081 $2,081

153.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$3,864 $3,864

-38.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.45

-47.44%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lawrence, KS: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $964 in Lawrence, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lawrence, KS pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Lawrence, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $373 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 16% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,076 including rent). Lawrence, KS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lawrence, KS earns 63% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $964 in Lawrence, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $919 in Lawrence, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,076 in Lawrence, KS versus $2,399 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 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.