Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Moline, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Moline, IL: $2,195 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Moline, IL, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Moline, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,195
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Moline, IL

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 Moline, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,195 in Moline, IL.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Moline, IL $2,195

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,245 in Moline, IL.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Moline, IL $3,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,295 in Moline, IL.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Moline, IL $4,295

Living in Barcelona is roughly 12% more expensive than in Moline, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Moline, IL 61% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$20.20 $20.20
-12.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$90.6 $90.6
-25.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$8.34 $8.34
62.23%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$5.07 $5.07
-37.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$2.68 $2.68
8.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.46 $1.46
29.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$4.04 $4.04
-0.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$3.89 $3.89
16.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.96 $0.96
36.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$3.70 $3.70
-45.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$5.17 $5.17
-64.22%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$3.32 $3.32
45.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$13.44 $13.44
24.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$11.72 $11.72
-22.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$15.75 $15.75
24.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$4.97 $4.97
-40.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.62 $1.62
24.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$3.94 $3.94
-31.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$4.94 $4.94
-43.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.71 $2.71
-22.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.72 $2.72
-23.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.25 $2.25
-35.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.66 $2.66
-64.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$13.97 $13.97
-50.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$15.26 $15.26
-48.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.68 $1.68
-16.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$1.82 $1.82
39.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$1.07 $1.07
193.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$32.05 $32.05
-20.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$3.17 $3.17
-5.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.37 $1.37
8.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$25.24 $25.24
32.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.12 $1.12
60.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$35.6K $35.6K
-6.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$23.9K $23.9K
32.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$191 $191
-5.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$69.2 $69.2
-80.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$60.0 $60.0
-43.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$49.55 $49.55
3.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$39.03 $39.03
-59.11%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$17.91 $17.91
-38.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$1,836 $1,836
-50.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$23.9K $23.9K
-30.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$67.0 $67.0
29.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$52.0 $52.0
-25.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$92.5 $92.5
14.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$79.6 $79.6
50.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$967 $967
75.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$921 $921
47.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$1,410 $1,410
84.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$1,351 $1,351
52.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$1,526 $1,526
353.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$1,522 $1,522
236.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Moline, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.56
-41.01%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Moline, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Moline, IL
$921 32.1% $434
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Moline, IL
$399 23.9% $77
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Moline, IL
$292 9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Moline, IL
$320 40.5% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Moline, IL
$131 17.1% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Moline, IL
$85 16.1% $12
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Moline, IL
$46 4.4% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $967 in Moline, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $91 in Moline, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $399 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Moline, IL
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
20:02 8:02 PM
6 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
42,985
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Moline, IL 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Moline, IL

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 Moline, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Moline, IL?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,195 in Moline, IL, so Moline, IL is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Moline, IL?
You’d need roughly $3,679 in Barcelona and $3,292 in Moline, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Moline, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $967 in Moline, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Moline, IL?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,836 in Moline, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Moline, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Moline, IL?
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.

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