Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lowell, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,623 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Lowell, MA

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 Lowell, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,623 in Lowell, MA.

Barcelona $2,443
Lowell, MA $2,623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $4,189 in Lowell, MA.

Barcelona $3,519
Lowell, MA $4,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $5,755 in Lowell, MA.

Barcelona $4,595
Lowell, MA $5,755

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Lowell, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Lowell, MA 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.75

$16.58 $16.58

6.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.2

$71.2 $71.2

-5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.14

$8.79 $8.79

54.84%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

$4.95 $4.95

-37.37%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$2.03 $2.03

47.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.64 $1.64

17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.43

$5.08 $5.08

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.89

$7.84 $7.84

-44.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.87 $0.87

43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.22 $2.22

-4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$5.34 $5.34

-63.11%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.25

$3.91 $3.91

21.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.22

$11.25 $11.25

51.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.99

$8.85 $8.85

1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.42

$17.87 $17.87

15.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.82

$2.73 $2.73

15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.22 $1.22

61.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$6.60 $6.60

-59.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$5.65 $5.65

-49.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.61 $1.61

27.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$4.32 $4.32

-49.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.34 $2.34

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$2.23 $2.23

-56.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.21

$13.90 $13.90

-49.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.04

$13.77 $13.77

-42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.69 $1.69

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$3.89 $3.89

-30.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.95

$1.85 $1.85

78.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.84

$54.6 $54.6

-53.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.75

$3.87 $3.87

-20.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.69 $1.69

-12.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.32

$28.74 $28.74

14.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.90 $0.90

107.78%

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

$33.0K €29.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

21.56%

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

$31.9K €28.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

17.94%

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

$183 €163

$188 $188

-2.52%

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

$14.24 €12.70

$52.2 $52.2

-72.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.83

$66.4 $66.4

-47.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.87

$39.27 $39.27

30.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.62

$12.32 $12.32

32.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.87

$14.07 $14.07

-21.39%

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

$944 €842

$1,396 $1,396

-32.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$44.3K $44.3K

-49.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.2

$57.0 $57.0

53.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.59

$37.87 $37.87

2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$78.6 $78.6

33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$70.5 $70.5

66.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,514

$1,647 $1,647

3.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,192

$1,423 $1,423

-6.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,401

$3,643 $3,643

-26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,853

$3,097 $3,097

-32.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,382

$3,527 $3,527

102.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,530

$3,540 $3,540

43.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,999

$4,031 $4,031

-44.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.1

-47.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lowell, MA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.2% 6.4% $86

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Lowell, MA

$368 14.1% 12.4% $41

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Lowell, MA

$274 10.5% 2.7% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Lowell, MA

$306 11.7% 32.1% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Lowell, MA

$110 4.2% 30% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Lowell, MA

$67 2.6% 8.3% $6.1

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Lowell, MA

$74 2.8% 50.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,647 in Lowell, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lowell, MA pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $71 in Lowell, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $368 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

106,519

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Lowell, MA 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Lowell, MA

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 Lowell, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,623 in Lowell, MA, so Barcelona is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,647 in Lowell, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $1,396 in Lowell, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lowell, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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 Lowell, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Lowell, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.