Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Scranton, PA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Scranton, PA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,127 in Scranton, PA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,980 in Scranton, PA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,832 in Scranton, PA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than in Scranton, PA, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Scranton, PA 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$11.90 $11.90

57.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$77.9 $77.9

-10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.14 $6.14

124.27%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.54 $4.54

-31.72%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.49 $1.49

89.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.99 $0.99

89.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.01 $7.01

-43.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.30 $7.30

-37.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.78 $0.78

62.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.43 $1.43

51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.19 $2.19

-19.63%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.32 $3.32

54.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.08 $11.08

61.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.54 $8.54

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.87 $10.87

85.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.73 $3.73

-12.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.31 $1.31

70.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.34 $3.34

-22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.37 $4.37

-36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.93 $2.93

-24.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.27 $3.27

-35.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.96 $1.96

-20.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.95 $0.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.30 $6.30

16.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.04 $12.04

-33.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.06 $3.06

-49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$4.69 $4.69

-40.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.71 $1.71

81.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$59.1 $59.1

-56.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.24 $3.24

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.97 $1.97

-24.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$25.06 $25.06

36.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.05 $1.05

64.76%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

4.05%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

15.95%

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

$187 €163

$232 $232

-19.27%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$39.96 $39.96

-62.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$50.2 $50.2

-24.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$29.73 $29.73

88.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$15.89 $15.89

7.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$12.35 $12.35

-7.61%

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

$997 €869

$760 $760

31.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$17.8K $17.8K

-7.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$45.35 $45.35

104.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$30.58 $30.58

34.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$72.5 $72.5

53.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$83.6 $83.6

49.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,243 $1,243

37.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,027 $1,027

25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,573 $1,573

63.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,457 $1,457

33.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,599 $1,599

378.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,545 $1,545

234.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,249 $3,249

-27.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.03

-47.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Scranton, PA: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,243 in Scranton, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $78.0 in Scranton, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $298, with Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Scranton, PA differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,127 including rent). Scranton, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Scranton, PA. 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 $1,243 in Scranton, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $760 in Scranton, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,127 in Scranton, PA versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Scranton, PA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.