Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Waco, TX Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Waco, TX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $2,416 in Waco, TX.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $3,044 in Waco, TX.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $3,671 in Waco, TX.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 1% more expensive than in Waco, TX, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Waco, TX 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$14.95 $14.95

25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$60.2 $60.2

15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$10.38 $10.38

35.65%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$5.65 $5.65

-44.78%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.47 $1.47

27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$5.07 $5.07

-21.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$5.53 $5.53

-16.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.81 $0.81

46.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$3.18 $3.18

-33.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.98 $1.98

-7.07%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$2.80 $2.80

83.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$12.26 $12.26

33.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$9.52 $9.52

2.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$11.90 $11.90

65.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$3.84 $3.84

-18.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.18 $1.18

84.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$3.77 $3.77

-34.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$3.60 $3.60

-23.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.31 $2.31

-8.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$2.90 $2.90

-23.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.76 $1.76

-15.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.99 $0.99

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$8.77 $8.77

-17.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$13.89 $13.89

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.78 $1.78

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.94 $3.94

-31.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$1.54 $1.54

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$40.23 $40.23

-35.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$10.13 $10.13

-67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.90 $1.90

-1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$59.6 $59.6

-41.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.83 $0.83

109.64%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$35.6K $35.6K

2.47%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$25.1K $25.1K

25.55%

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

$183 €156

$181 $181

1.00%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$37.18 $37.18

-57.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$50.9 $50.9

-27.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$27.41 $27.41

95.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$9.22 $9.22

24.84%

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

$952 €815

$834 $834

14.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$17.7K $17.7K

-8.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$48.37 $48.37

70.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$38.60 $38.60

4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$82.3 $82.3

31.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$96.6 $96.6

29.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$1,247 $1,247

33.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$1,322 $1,322

-2.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$1,577 $1,577

68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$1,363 $1,363

39.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$1,959 $1,959

283.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$1,940 $1,940

166.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$3,185 $3,185

-23.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

6.03

-48.26%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Waco, TX: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $1,247 in Waco, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waco, TX pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $60.0 in Waco, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $315 per month, with Waco, TX cheaper across the board.

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 Waco, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Waco, TX differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $2,416 including rent). Waco, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Waco, TX. 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $1,247 in Waco, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $834 in Waco, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,416 in Waco, TX versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Waco, TX but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Waco, TX 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 Waco, TX 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 Waco, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.