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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,253 in Scranton, PA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,155 in Scranton, PA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $4,056 in Scranton, PA.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 5% more expensive than in Scranton, PA, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Scranton, PA 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$11.78 $11.78

45.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$91.7 $91.7

-25.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.13 $6.13

122.51%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.61 $4.61

-39.70%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.46 $1.46

93.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.97 $0.97

102.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$6.17 $6.17

-28.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$6.98 $6.98

-33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.72 $0.72

76.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.41 $1.41

51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.16 $2.16

-7.87%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.34 $3.34

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$13.08 $13.08

44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.88 $9.88

-3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.87 $10.87

72.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.76 $3.76

-29.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.26 $1.26

86.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.20 $3.20

-34.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.40 $4.40

-37.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.31 $3.31

-40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.80 $2.80

-35.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.01 $2.01

-24.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.98 $0.98

-9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.55 $6.55

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$11.88 $11.88

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.01 $2.01

-31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$4.10 $4.10

-41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.73 $1.73

68.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$58.9 $58.9

-51.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.98 $2.98

53.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.36 $1.36

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$22.37 $22.37

28.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.86 $0.86

111.63%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

43.69%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

27.72%

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

$187 €162

$273 $273

-31.59%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$40.50 $40.50

-44.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$49.20 $49.20

-26.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$29.79 $29.79

93.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$15.80 $15.80

31.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$12.32 $12.32

-12.58%

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

$725 €628

$784 $784

-7.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$43.4K $43.4K

-65.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$45.48 $45.48

93.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$30.02 $30.02

22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$72.8 $72.8

42.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$83.3 $83.3

42.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,224 $1,224

24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,093 $1,093

12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,095 $2,095

30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,486 $1,486

33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,589 $1,589

370.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,530 $1,530

242.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,322 $3,322

-27.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.68

-49.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Scranton, PA: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,224 in Scranton, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $92.0 in Scranton, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $303, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,253 including rent). Scranton, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,224 in Scranton, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $784 in Scranton, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,253 in Scranton, PA versus $2,359 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 5% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.