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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,768 in Burlington, IA versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Burlington, IA versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,508 in Burlington, IA versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

Living in Burlington, IA costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, IA 32% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 $11.67

$17.45 €14.88

-33.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$69.8 €59.6

-13.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 $8.89

$13.91 €11.86

-36.09%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.74 €2.34

104.01%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$2.70 €2.30

-27.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.03 €1.73

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.51 €3.85

-20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.61 €3.93

-3.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.28 €1.09

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.10 €1.79

19.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$1.99 €1.70

297.99%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$3.45 €2.95

-14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 $14.87

$18.61 €15.87

-20.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$9.41 €8.03

37.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$18.70 €15.95

-18.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.61 €2.22

91.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.39 €2.04

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.19 €1.86

123.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.81 €2.40

77.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.03 €1.73

47.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.87 €1.60

30.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.45 €1.24

27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.92 €0.79

161.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$6.82 €5.82

29.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 $11.87

$7.71 €6.58

53.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.38 €1.18

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.33 €1.99

69.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.88 €2.46

-42.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.89 $20.89

$29.04 €24.77

-28.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.43 €3.78

-18.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.14 €1.82

-21.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.30 $29.30

$28.96 €24.71

1.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.90 €1.62

-50.53%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$37.9K €32.3K

-38.16%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$33.3K €28.4K

-27.37%

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

$171 $171

$186 €158

-7.99%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$22.17 €18.91

132.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 $52.1

$36.52 €31.15

42.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 $50.7

$58.4 €49.81

-13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 $10.87

$11.10 €9.47

-2.07%

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

$720 $720

$705 €601

2.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.2K €13.0K

55.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.38 $43.38

$86.4 €73.7

-49.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.84 $30.84

$36.88 €31.46

-16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 $66.5

$104 €88.8

-36.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.57 $37.57

$115 €98.4

-67.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 $634

$1,538 €1,312

-58.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 $664

$1,242 €1,060

-46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 $1,064

$2,728 €2,327

-61.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 $1,169

$2,011 €1,716

-41.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,030 $1,030

$7,155 €6,104

-85.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,036 $1,036

$4,843 €4,131

-78.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,311 $4,311

$2,474 €2,111

74.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

3.39

92.33%

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

Last update for Burlington, IA: April 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $634 in Burlington, IA and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Burlington, IA vs $70 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $318, 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

Burlington, IA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA and Barcelona differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,768 vs $2,336 including rent). Burlington, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burlington, IA pays 74% more on average, 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: $634 in Burlington, IA versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $720 in Burlington, IA versus $705 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,768 in Burlington, IA versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA 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, Burlington, IA and Barcelona 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 Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.