Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $3,083 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
Learn more

South Portland, ME Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,083 in South Portland, ME.

Barcelona $2,443
South Portland, ME $3,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $4,598 in South Portland, ME.

Barcelona $3,519
South Portland, ME $4,598

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $6,113 in South Portland, ME.

Barcelona $4,595
South Portland, ME $6,113

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 21% less than in South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, South Portland, ME 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.85

$25.11 $25.11

-29.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$119 $119

-43.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.22

$14.81 $14.81

-8.10%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.78

$5.36 $5.36

-42.16%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$3.01 $3.01

-0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$2.35 $2.35

-17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.45

$8.11 $8.11

-52.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.91

$7.85 $7.85

-44.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.91

$4.60 $4.60

-53.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$7.09 $7.09

-72.21%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.27

$4.05 $4.05

17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.32

$15.82 $15.82

7.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.04

$10.27 $10.27

-12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.53

$15.92 $15.92

29.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.84

$4.81 $4.81

-34.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.70 $1.70

15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.38

$5.55 $5.55

-52.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.59

$7.67 $7.67

-62.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$4.36 $4.36

-52.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$3.64 $3.64

-40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.38

$3.03 $3.03

-49.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$2.61 $2.61

-62.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.25

$12.12 $12.12

-42.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$15.01 $15.01

-47.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.96 $1.96

-27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.41

$2.59 $2.59

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.07 $2.07

59.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.98

$57.1 $57.1

-55.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.55 $2.55

20.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.77 $1.77

-16.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.50

$28.48 $28.48

15.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.15 $1.15

62.61%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

21.01%

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

$31.9K €28.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

23.26%

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

$183 €164

$234 $234

-21.90%

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

$14.24 €12.78

$68.1 $68.1

-79.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €31.02

$77.9 $77.9

-55.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €46.15

$39.73 $39.73

29.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.70

$29.99 $29.99

-45.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.93

$15.04 $15.04

-26.46%

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

$944 €847

$407 $407

131.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €20.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-17.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.7

$51.7 $51.7

69.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.80

$49.39 $49.39

-21.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.8

$104 $104

0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €106

$131 $131

-10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,523

$1,926 $1,926

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,200

$1,567 $1,567

-14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,416

$3,164 $3,164

-14.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,864

$2,599 $2,599

-20.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,421

$2,781 $2,781

157.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,558

$2,340 $2,340

117.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,011

$4,216 $4,216

-46.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.65

-52.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

South Portland, ME

$1.6K 50.8% 17.2% $230

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

South Portland, ME

$451 14.6% 37.8% $124

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

South Portland, ME

$387 12.6% 45.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

South Portland, ME

$380 12.3% 64.1% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

South Portland, ME

$151 4.9% 3.6% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3% 5.1% $3.8

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

South Portland, ME

$77 2.5% 55.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,926 in South Portland, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $119 in South Portland, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $451 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

19:47 7:47 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

26,498

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona South Portland, ME 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $3,083 in South Portland, ME, so Barcelona is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,926 in South Portland, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $407 in South Portland, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in South Portland, ME. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,083 in South Portland, ME, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in South Portland, ME. 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 South Portland, ME are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in South Portland, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.