Cost of Living Comparison Between Evanston, IL and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Evanston, IL and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,501 in Evanston, IL versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,379 in Evanston, IL versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,257 in Evanston, IL versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Evanston, IL is roughly 8% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Evanston, IL 87% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.66 €15.46

14.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$69.7 €61.0

13.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$14.16 €12.40

-15.40%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$2.80 €2.45

93.21%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$2.81 €2.46

-5.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.06 €1.81

10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.60 €4.03

56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.69 €4.11

47.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.23 €1.08

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.03 €1.78

83.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$1.98 €1.73

171.72%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$3.49 €3.05

29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 $13.70

$18.33 €16.05

-25.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$9.83 €8.61

36.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$19.13 €16.75

-0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.73 €2.39

62.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.38 €2.09

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.08 €1.82

110.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.75 €2.41

62.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 €1.72

26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.79 €1.57

62.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.48 €1.29

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.91 €0.80

121.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$7.13 €6.25

37.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$7.88 €6.90

93.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.38 €1.21

71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.39 €2.09

56.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.01 €2.64

-8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.4 $75.4

$29.35 €25.71

156.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.36 €3.82

2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.13 €1.86

-36.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.68 $41.68

$29.60 €25.93

40.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.82 €1.60

-50.55%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$37.9K €33.2K

-21.83%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$32.4K €28.4K

-20.74%

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

$184 $184

$189 €166

-2.75%

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

$63.6 $63.6

$22.29 €19.52

185.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$37.16 €32.55

104.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 $75.1

$58.0 €50.8

29.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.1 $60.1

$20.66 €18.09

190.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 $14.94

$10.87 €9.52

37.44%

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

$1,598 $1,598

$706 €618

126.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K $34.5K

$14.9K €13.0K

132.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$89.4 €78.3

-27.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 $48.92

$36.60 €32.06

33.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$104 €91.1

-2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$119 €105

13.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,579 €1,383

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 $1,121

$1,238 €1,084

-9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,016 $4,016

$2,712 €2,375

48.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,056 $3,056

$2,039 €1,786

49.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K $14.6K

$7,527 €6,592

94.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.1K $13.1K

$5,239 €4,588

149.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,271 $5,271

$2,364 €2,070

122.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

3.39

94.69%

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

Last update for Evanston, IL: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,683 in Evanston, IL and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Evanston, IL pays 123% 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: $79.0 in Evanston, IL vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona 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

Evanston, IL vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Evanston, IL and Barcelona differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,501 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 123% higher in Evanston, IL, 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: $1,683 in Evanston, IL versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,598 in Evanston, IL versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Evanston, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,501 in Evanston, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Evanston, IL. 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, Evanston, IL 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Evanston, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.