Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Simpsonville, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Simpsonville, SC: $2,229 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Simpsonville, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,229
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Simpsonville, SC

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 Simpsonville, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,229 in Simpsonville, SC.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Simpsonville, SC $2,229

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $3,292 in Simpsonville, SC.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Simpsonville, SC $3,292

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $4,356 in Simpsonville, SC.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Simpsonville, SC $4,356

Living in Barcelona is roughly 7% more expensive than in Simpsonville, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Simpsonville, SC 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$17.90 $17.90
-0.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$75.6 $75.6
-12.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$11.03 $11.03
24.12%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$5.29 $5.29
-42.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$2.73 $2.73
12.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.01 $2.01
-3.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$6.16 $6.16
-37.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$7.62 $7.62
-39.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$0.90 $0.90
44.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.15 $4.15
-49.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$3.21 $3.21
-42.99%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$3.91 $3.91
18.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$14.99 $14.99
15.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$12.70 $12.70
-26.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$17.86 $17.86
11.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$5.43 $5.43
-44.57%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.49 $1.49
36.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$4.50 $4.50
-41.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$4.51 $4.51
-36.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$3.68 $3.68
-41.30%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$3.06 $3.06
-29.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.06 $2.06
-28.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$2.04 $2.04
-56.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$8.46 $8.46
-18.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$15.02 $15.02
-47.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.62 $1.62
-14.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.77 $1.77
48.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$3.04 $3.04
-1.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.52 $1.52
-5.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$17.91 $17.91
85.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.89 $0.89
108.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$25.9K $25.9K
24.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$25.2K $25.2K
25.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$145 $145
26.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$66.6 $66.6
-79.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$79.6 $79.6
-58.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
$87.7 $87.7
-37.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$15.29 $15.29
-26.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$1,463 $1,463
-34.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$10.0K $10.0K
65.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$49.84 $49.84
72.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$35.47 $35.47
10.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$87.8 $87.8
18.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$132 $132
-10.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$1,280 $1,280
32.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$958 $958
33.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$1,803 $1,803
42.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$1,499 $1,499
28.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Simpsonville, SC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$4,369 $4,369
-49.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.7
-51.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Simpsonville, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Simpsonville, SC
$958 24.9% $318
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Simpsonville, SC
$409 25.9% $84
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Simpsonville, SC
$305 13.1% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Simpsonville, SC
$291 26.9% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Simpsonville, SC
$137 12.1% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Simpsonville, SC
$118 53.2% $41
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Simpsonville, SC
$11 * 77.5% $37

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 $1,695 in Barcelona and $1,280 in Simpsonville, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Simpsonville, SC pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $76.0 in Simpsonville, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $409 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Simpsonville, SC
🕒 Local time
15:57 3:57 PM
09:57 9:57 AM
6 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
22,234
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Simpsonville, SC 7,130 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Simpsonville, SC

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 Simpsonville, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Simpsonville, SC?
Barcelona and Simpsonville, SC differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $2,229 including rent). Simpsonville, SC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Simpsonville, SC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Simpsonville, SC?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $1,280 in Simpsonville, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Simpsonville, SC?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $1,463 in Simpsonville, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Simpsonville, SC – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,229 in Simpsonville, SC versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Simpsonville, SC but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Simpsonville, SC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Simpsonville, SC?
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.
Is Barcelona or Simpsonville, SC safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Simpsonville, SC are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Simpsonville, SC?
Expats usually find Simpsonville, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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