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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,110 in Rockford, IL.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,927 in Rockford, IL.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $3,745 in Rockford, IL.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 11% more expensive than Rockford, IL, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Rockford, IL 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$14.86 $14.86

17.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$66.2 $66.2

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$9.09 $9.09

53.03%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$5.19 $5.19

-47.21%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$2.03 $2.03

33.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.41 $1.41

43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$3.89 $3.89

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$6.13 $6.13

-24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.68 $0.68

88.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$2.22 $2.22

-5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$4.61 $4.61

-56.83%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$1.65 $1.65

109.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$7.74 $7.74

140.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$12.53 $12.53

-24.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$15.05 $15.05

24.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$5.66 $5.66

-53.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.07 $1.07

123.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$4.51 $4.51

-51.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$4.89 $4.89

-42.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.14 $2.14

-5.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$2.10 $2.10

-10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.47 $1.47

-1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$2.60 $2.60

-64.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$10.46 $10.46

-34.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$15.82 $15.82

-51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.76 $1.76

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$3.47 $3.47

-32.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.48 $1.48

94.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$55.8 $55.8

-47.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.74 $2.74

61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.58 $1.58

35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$20.65 $20.65

40.24%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

25.02%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

29.28%

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

$186 €158

$180 $180

2.89%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$42.80 $42.80

-48.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$64.2 $64.2

-43.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$44.12 $44.12

32.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$14.64 $14.64

-24.18%

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

$705 €601

$513 $513

37.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,029 $4,029

277.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$42.69 $42.69

102.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$44.60 $44.60

-17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$80.3 $80.3

29.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$95.9 $95.9

20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$1,481 $1,481

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$955 $955

30.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$1,447 $1,447

88.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$1,250 $1,250

60.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,456 $1,456

391.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,409 $1,409

243.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$3,254 $3,254

-23.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.77

-41.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Rockford, IL: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $1,481 in Rockford, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockford, IL pays 31% 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 $66 in Rockford, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $357, 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 Rockford, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rockford, IL differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $2,110 including rent). Rockford, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rockford, IL earns 31% less. 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $1,481 in Rockford, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $513 in Rockford, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,110 in Rockford, IL versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockford, IL but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rockford, IL 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.