Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and McKinney, TX Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and McKinney, TX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,766 in McKinney, TX.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,648 in McKinney, TX.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,530 in McKinney, TX.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 10% less than in McKinney, TX, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, McKinney, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$18.63 $18.63

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$60.9 $60.9

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$10.78 $10.78

27.74%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.13 $5.13

-39.57%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.22 $2.22

27.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.78 $1.78

5.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.91 $5.91

-32.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$8.56 $8.56

-47.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.73 $2.73

-20.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.26 $2.26

-22.12%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.84 $3.84

33.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$10.43 $10.43

71.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$11.03 $11.03

-12.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$16.56 $16.56

21.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.15 $3.15

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.51 $1.51

47.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.90 $2.90

-10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.55 $2.55

8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.15 $2.15

2.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.05 $2.05

3.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.71 $1.71

-9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.37 $2.37

-59.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$10.93 $10.93

-32.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.93 $11.93

-32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.92 $1.92

-19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.09 $3.09

-9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.08 $3.08

0.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$190 $190

-86.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.70 $2.70

21.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.21 $1.21

22.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$29.96 $29.96

14.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.85 $0.85

103.53%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$35.3K $35.3K

3.16%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

21.98%

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

$187 €163

$163 $163

14.52%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$71.7 $71.7

-78.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$69.1 $69.1

-45.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$30.55 $30.55

83.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$12.92 $12.92

32.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$11.97 $11.97

-4.68%

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

$997 €868

$1,577 $1,577

-36.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$23.8K $23.8K

-30.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$53.0 $53.0

74.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$28.90 $28.90

42.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$95.1 $95.1

16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$59.2 $59.2

111.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$1,681 $1,681

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$1,414 $1,414

-9.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$2,636 $2,636

-2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$1,705 $1,705

13.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$2,298 $2,298

232.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$2,365 $2,365

118.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$5,637 $5,637

-58.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.04

-47.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for McKinney, TX: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,681 in McKinney, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McKinney, TX pays 140% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $61.0 in McKinney, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $332 per month, with McKinney, TX 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 McKinney, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and McKinney, TX differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,766 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 140% lower in McKinney, TX. 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 $1,681 in McKinney, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,577 in McKinney, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in McKinney, TX pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 McKinney, TX 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 12% less than in McKinney, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.