Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Schaumburg, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,283 in Schaumburg, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Schaumburg, IL
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Schaumburg, IL Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Schaumburg, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,283 in Schaumburg, IL.

Barcelona $2,453
Schaumburg, IL $3,283

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $4,589 in Schaumburg, IL.

Barcelona $3,509
Schaumburg, IL $4,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $5,894 in Schaumburg, IL.

Barcelona $4,564
Schaumburg, IL $5,894

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 25% less than in Schaumburg, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Schaumburg, IL 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.69

$14.80 $14.80

18.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.2

$101 $101

-32.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.07

$13.18 $13.18

2.66%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.85

$4.87 $4.87

-34.50%

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

$2.91 €2.60

$2.59 $2.59

12.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.31 $2.31

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.58

$4.58 $4.58

-12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.04

$6.24 $6.24

-27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$0.88 $0.88

48.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.80

$4.17 $4.17

-51.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$7.44 $7.44

-75.13%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.31

$4.04 $4.04

19.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.93

$14.79 $14.79

13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.14

$13.80 $13.80

-33.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.52

$17.44 $17.44

12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$5.45 $5.45

-45.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.91 $2.91

-30.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$5.10 $5.10

-47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$4.10 $4.10

-31.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.31 $3.31

-36.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$3.22 $3.22

-35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.96 $1.96

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$3.59 $3.59

-73.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.13

$18.19 $18.19

-62.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.04

$19.44 $19.44

-59.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$5.39 $5.39

-52.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.70

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$0.95 $0.95

89.47%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$26.4K $26.4K

25.66%

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

$31.7K €28.3K

$28.5K $28.5K

11.06%

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

$180 €161

$342 $342

-47.27%

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

$13.84 €12.35

$75.9 $75.9

-81.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.06

$148 $148

-77.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €45.96

$64.5 $64.5

-20.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.24

$39.22 $39.22

-59.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.81

$20.02 $20.02

-45.10%

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

$917 €818

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$84.6K $84.6K

-80.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.7

$73.9 $73.9

17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.35

$49.96 $49.96

-22.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.4

$100 $100

5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$120 $120

-0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,516

$1,914 $1,914

-11.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,209

$1,722 $1,722

-21.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,322

$2,818 $2,818

-7.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,840

$2,558 $2,558

-19.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,169

$2,115 $2,115

226.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,575

$2,073 $2,073

147.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,972

$4,915 $4,915

-55.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.1

-46.23%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Schaumburg, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Schaumburg, IL

$1.7K 52.5% 27.1% $367

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Schaumburg, IL

$465 * 14.2% 44.4% $143

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Schaumburg, IL

$271 8.3% 1.3% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Schaumburg, IL

$566 17.2% 148% $338

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Schaumburg, IL

$155 4.7% 2.1% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Schaumburg, IL

$105 3.2% 42.3% $31

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Schaumburg, IL

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,914 in Schaumburg, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaumburg, IL pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $101 in Schaumburg, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $465 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Schaumburg, IL

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

21:28 9:28 PM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

78,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona Schaumburg, IL 7,100 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
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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 Schaumburg, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $3,283 in Schaumburg, IL, so Barcelona is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,914 in Schaumburg, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $101 in Schaumburg, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $3,283 in Schaumburg, IL – Barcelona is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,283 in Schaumburg, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg, IL are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Schaumburg, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.