Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $2,405 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Wausau, WI

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 Wausau, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $1,726 in Wausau, WI.

Barcelona $2,405
Wausau, WI $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,735 in Wausau, WI.

Barcelona $3,477
Wausau, WI $2,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $3,743 in Wausau, WI.

Barcelona $4,550
Wausau, WI $3,743

Living in Barcelona is roughly 39% more expensive than in Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 79% above, Wausau, WI 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.04

$19.87 $19.87

-9.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

$75.2 $75.2

-10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$8.71 $8.71

53.50%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$4.85 $4.85

-31.13%

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

$2.95 €2.64

$2.82 $2.82

4.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.94 $1.94

-2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

$5.62 $5.62

-30.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

$5.42 $5.42

-15.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.85 $0.85

49.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.84 $2.84

-30.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$5.26 $5.26

-66.73%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$4.66 $4.66

4.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.59

$8.62 $8.62

102.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$6.80 $6.80

33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$13.53 $13.53

49.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$4.17 $4.17

-26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.53 $1.53

32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$4.02 $4.02

-35.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$4.10 $4.10

-33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.86 $1.86

15.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.44 $2.44

-9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$2.25 $2.25

-31.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.99 $0.99

-6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$8.60 $8.60

-17.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

$8.92 $8.92

-14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.95 $1.95

-23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.20 $2.20

24.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.12

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

$2.76 $2.76

13.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.58 $1.58

-8.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

$20.77 $20.77

64.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.81 $0.81

120.99%

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

$34.7K €31.0K

$36.3K $36.3K

-4.53%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

21.39%

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

$181 €161

$157 $157

14.84%

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

$13.56 €12.10

$68.3 $68.3

-80.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

$71.5 $71.5

-50.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

$30.56 $30.56

73.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.32

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

$5.93 $5.93

91.74%

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

$939 €838

$1,806 $1,806

-48.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

-32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$24.53 $24.53

259.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

$40.50 $40.50

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$65.8 $65.8

57.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$83.5 $83.5

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

$928 $928

82.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$698 $698

86.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,298

$1,565 $1,565

64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

$1,398 $1,398

38.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

$1,662 $1,662

349.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,635

$1,714 $1,714

203.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

$3,486 $3,486

-34.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.65

-50.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 46.4% $603

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 5.5% $18

Eating Out

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 10.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 29.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 38.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 44.1% $33

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 77.9% $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 $928 in Wausau, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wausau, WI pays 52% 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 $75.0 in Wausau, WI. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $307, with Wausau, WI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

11:34 11:34 AM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

38,435

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Wausau, WI 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Wausau, WI

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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Wausau, WI differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $1,726 including rent). Wausau, WI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Wausau, WI. 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 $928 in Wausau, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $1,806 in Wausau, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wausau, WI – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $67.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,726 in Wausau, WI versus $2,405 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wausau, WI but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Wausau, WI 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 Wausau, WI 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 Wausau, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.