Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Newton, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Newton, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,871 in Newton, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,827 in Newton, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,784 in Newton, IA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than in Newton, IA, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Newton, IA 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$19.62 $19.62

-6.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$63.2 $63.2

9.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$10.55 $10.55

33.93%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$5.19 $5.19

-39.69%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.56 $2.56

17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.72 $1.72

13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.02 $5.02

-20.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$7.27 $7.27

-34.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.90 $0.90

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.31 $3.31

-34.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$4.73 $4.73

-64.27%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.73 $2.73

80.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$6.67 $6.67

168.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$10.21 $10.21

-5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$14.51 $14.51

33.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$4.67 $4.67

-30.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.86 $1.86

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$5.80 $5.80

-53.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.57 $3.57

-22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.76 $1.76

25.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$3.19 $3.19

-31.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.81 $1.81

-16.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$2.69 $2.69

-65.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$8.96 $8.96

-20.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$10.07 $10.07

-19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.76 $1.76

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$5.13 $5.13

-45.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.05 $2.05

53.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.03 $3.03

7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.35 $1.35

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$24.71 $24.71

41.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.91 $0.91

92.31%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$36.4K $36.4K

0.70%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

23.78%

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

$188 €161

$179 $179

4.80%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$67.2 $67.2

-77.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$66.4 $66.4

-43.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$75.3 $75.3

-24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$15.15 $15.15

-23.56%

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

$1,003 €863

$991 $991

1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$19.0K $19.0K

-10.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$18.29 $18.29

387.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$14.78 $14.78

176.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$78.6 $78.6

39.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$98.7 $98.7

24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$827 $827

102.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$717 $717

85.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,428 $1,428

81.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,146 $1,146

70.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,723 $2,723

178.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,405 $2,405

123.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.08

-48.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Newton, IA: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $827 in Newton, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $63.0 in Newton, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $352, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Newton, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Newton, IA differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,871 including rent). Newton, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $2,806 in Newton, IA 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $827 in Newton, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $991 in Newton, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Newton, IA – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,871 in Newton, IA versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Newton, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Newton, IA 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 Newton, IA 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 Newton, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.