Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Bismarck, ND: $2,355 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

112

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,355

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bismarck, ND and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bismarck, ND and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

Bismarck, ND $2,355
Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,453 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

Bismarck, ND $3,453
Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,551 in Bismarck, ND versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

Bismarck, ND $4,551
Barcelona $4,595

Living in Bismarck, ND costs roughly 4% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bismarck, ND 74% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.75 $29.75

$17.66 €15.79

68.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 $69.5

$67.5 €60.3

3.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.29 $17.29

$13.61 €12.17

27.04%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.10 €2.77

98.71%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$3.00 €2.68

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.93 €1.72

-6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.84 €3.44

41.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.36 €3.90

59.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.25 €1.11

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.12 €1.90

22.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.97 €1.76

8.12%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$4.76 €4.26

-43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

$17.07 €15.26

-53.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$8.96 €8.01

44.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$20.65 €18.46

-21.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.16 €2.83

10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.97 €1.76

-12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.65 €2.37

17.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.88 €2.58

52.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.06 €1.84

-7.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.18 €1.95

21.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.53 €1.37

43.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.97 €0.87

188.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.63 $8.63

$6.97 €6.23

23.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.29 $20.29

$7.89 €7.05

157.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.42 €1.27

28.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.69 €2.40

46.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.31 €2.96

-53.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.49 $35.49

$25.61 €22.90

38.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.76

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.87 €1.67

-50.80%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.0K €29.5K

-17.67%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$31.9K €28.6K

-29.40%

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

$207 $207

$183 €164

13.33%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$14.24 €12.73

418.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.7 $83.7

$34.56 €30.91

142.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 $33.94

$51.4 €45.98

-33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 $12.06

$11.06 €9.89

9.04%

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

$809 $809

$944 €844

-14.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,125 $9,125

$22.3K €19.9K

-59.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 $66.3

$87.7 €78.4

-24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.67

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$105 €93.5

-8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 $79.6

$118 €105

-32.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 $1,010

$1,697 €1,517

-40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 $995

$1,337 €1,195

-25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 $1,526

$2,692 €2,407

-43.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 $1,631

$2,077 €1,857

-21.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,440 $2,440

$7,155 €6,398

-65.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,971 $1,971

$5,079 €4,542

-61.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$2,241 €2,004

95.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

3.19

114.42%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: November 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$995 42.2%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 34.4% $342

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$423 17.9%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 36.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 10.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$365 15.5%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 36.5% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.6%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 44.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$58 2.5%

Barcelona

$74 3% 26.7% $15

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

$42 * 1.8%

Barcelona

$49 2% 18.6% $7.7

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 $1,010 in Bismarck, ND and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70 in Bismarck, ND vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $328 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

7 h ahead of Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bismarck, ND Barcelona 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
Barcelona

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

Bismarck, ND vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,355 in Bismarck, ND and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Bismarck, ND is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Bismarck, ND, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,010 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $809 in Bismarck, ND versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bismarck, ND gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Bismarck, ND and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.