Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sioux City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sioux City, IA: $2,192 a month against $2,405 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $2,192 in Sioux City, IA.

Barcelona $2,405
Sioux City, IA $2,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $3,334 in Sioux City, IA.

Barcelona $3,477
Sioux City, IA $3,334

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $4,477 in Sioux City, IA.

Barcelona $4,550
Sioux City, IA $4,477

Living in Barcelona is roughly 10% more expensive than in Sioux City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 79% above, Sioux City, IA 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.04

$20.27 $20.27

-11.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

$54.2 $54.2

24.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$10.45 $10.45

27.94%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$6.02 $6.02

-44.52%

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

$2.95 €2.64

$2.15 $2.15

37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.77 $1.77

7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

$4.98 $4.98

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

$5.90 $5.90

-22.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.88 $0.88

44.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.97 $2.97

-34.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$3.23 $3.23

-45.82%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$3.52 $3.52

38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.59

$8.35 $8.35

109.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$7.58 $7.58

19.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$16.89 $16.89

19.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$4.80 $4.80

-35.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.58 $1.58

28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$4.21 $4.21

-38.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$3.95 $3.95

-31.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.88 $1.88

14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$4.78 $4.78

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$2.32 $2.32

-33.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$2.17 $2.17

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$9.13 $9.13

-22.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

$15.11 $15.11

-49.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.68 $1.68

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.96 $2.96

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

$1.85 $1.85

59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.12

$47.11 $47.11

-45.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

$1.99 $1.99

57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.26 $1.26

15.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

$20.21 $20.21

69.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.87 $0.87

105.75%

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

$34.7K €31.0K

$36.3K $36.3K

-4.34%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$24.9K $24.9K

21.90%

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

$181 €161

$165 $165

9.52%

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

$13.56 €12.10

$52.4 $52.4

-74.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

$68.9 $68.9

-49.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

$98.8 $98.8

-46.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.32

$20.20 $20.20

-20.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

$15.17 $15.17

-25.05%

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

$939 €838

$1,089 $1,089

-13.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$11.8K $11.8K

39.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$43.23 $43.23

104.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

$21.84 $21.84

82.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$76.7 $76.7

34.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$88.8 $88.8

34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

$947 $947

78.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$945 $945

37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,298

$1,480 $1,480

74.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

$1,690 $1,690

14.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

$1,540 $1,540

385.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,635

$1,535 $1,535

238.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

$3,593 $3,593

-36.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.57

-50.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Sioux City, IA

$945 43.2% 27.4% $356

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Sioux City, IA

$344 15.7% 6% $19

Eating Out

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Sioux City, IA

$318 14.5% 17% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Sioux City, IA

$286 13.1% 24.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.7% 34.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9% 70.2% $53

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9% 30.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $947 in Sioux City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux City, IA pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $54.0 in Sioux City, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $344, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

05:20 5:20 AM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

85,797

💱 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 Sioux City, IA 7,630 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sioux City, IA differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $2,192 including rent). Sioux City, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Sioux City, IA. 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $947 in Sioux City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $1,089 in Sioux City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,192 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,405 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sioux City, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sioux City, IA 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 Sioux City, IA 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 Sioux City, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.