Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marion, IL Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marion, IL

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,466 in Marion, IL.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $3,586 in Marion, IL.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $4,706 in Marion, IL.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 5% less than in Marion, IL, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Marion, IL 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$19.29 $19.29

-9.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$74.8 $74.8

-6.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$9.83 $9.83

41.51%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$5.05 $5.05

-45.74%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$2.46 $2.46

9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.98 $1.98

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$6.02 $6.02

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$7.78 $7.78

-40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.02 $1.02

25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.67 $1.67

25.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$4.65 $4.65

-57.20%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.98 $2.98

15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$4.28 $4.28

334.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$11.02 $11.02

-14.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$15.52 $15.52

20.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$6.45 $6.45

-59.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.62 $1.62

47.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$5.50 $5.50

-60.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$4.96 $4.96

-43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$5.10 $5.10

-60.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$3.50 $3.50

-46.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.36 $2.36

-38.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$2.35 $2.35

-60.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$7.94 $7.94

-14.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$13.91 $13.91

-44.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.70 $1.70

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.91 $1.91

21.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$2.04 $2.04

41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$1.95 $1.95

127.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.35 $1.35

58.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$19.78 $19.78

46.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$0.82 $0.82

131.71%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$32.7K $32.7K

15.91%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$27.5K $27.5K

21.20%

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

$186 €158

$153 $153

21.71%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$58.7 $58.7

-62.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$68.2 $68.2

-46.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$42.67 $42.67

36.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$10.08 $10.08

10.12%

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

$705 €601

$1,580 $1,580

-55.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

-44.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$24.55 $24.55

251.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$32.85 $32.85

12.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$75.9 $75.9

37.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$86.6 $86.6

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$1,576 $1,576

-2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$1,345 $1,345

-7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$2,646 $2,646

3.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$2,178 $2,178

-7.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$2,385 $2,385

200.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$2,130 $2,130

127.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$2,196 $2,196

12.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.53

-48.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Marion, IL: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $1,576 in Marion, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70 in Barcelona vs $75 in Marion, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $361 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 Marion, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Marion, IL differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $2,466 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 13% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $1,576 in Marion, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $1,580 in Marion, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $75.0 in Marion, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,466 in Marion, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Marion, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Marion, IL 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Marion, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.