Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Urbandale, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Urbandale, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,352 in Urbandale, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $3,440 in Urbandale, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $4,528 in Urbandale, IA.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 2% less than in Urbandale, IA, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Urbandale, IA 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$14.82 $14.82

15.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$50.9 $50.9

38.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$10.01 $10.01

40.06%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$4.95 $4.95

-43.84%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.27 $1.27

118.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.96 $0.96

113.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$5.35 $5.35

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$7.09 $7.09

-34.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.02 $1.02

26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$3.22 $3.22

-33.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$3.84 $3.84

-49.74%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.04 $2.04

71.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$13.70 $13.70

35.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$10.60 $10.60

-10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$12.94 $12.94

46.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.37 $3.37

-22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.47 $1.47

59.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.56 $3.56

-41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$3.20 $3.20

-10.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.55 $3.55

-44.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.64 $3.64

-49.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.07 $2.07

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$2.34 $2.34

-61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$7.28 $7.28

-7.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$12.22 $12.22

-36.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.73 $1.73

-20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.87 $1.87

24.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.05 $2.05

46.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$64.6 $64.6

-55.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$2.43 $2.43

88.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.27 $2.27

-6.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$21.42 $21.42

37.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.76 $0.76

136.84%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$36.5K $36.5K

5.40%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

29.45%

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

$185 €162

$141 $141

31.44%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$15.27 $15.27

48.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$24.99 $24.99

47.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$42.97 $42.97

34.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$19.92 $19.92

6.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$14.91 $14.91

-27.36%

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

$727 €637

$1,396 $1,396

-47.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$29.3K $29.3K

-49.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$52.4 $52.4

66.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$22.04 $22.04

69.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$44.42 $44.42

132.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$74.9 $74.9

58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$1,596 $1,596

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$1,377 $1,377

-11.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$2,641 $2,641

3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$2,229 $2,229

-10.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$2,742 $2,742

173.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$2,336 $2,336

122.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$3,562 $3,562

-33.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $1,596 in Urbandale, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbandale, IA pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $346, with Barcelona 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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Urbandale, IA differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,352 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Urbandale, 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $1,596 in Urbandale, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $1,396 in Urbandale, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Urbandale, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,352 in Urbandale, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Urbandale, IA. 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 Urbandale, 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Urbandale, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.