Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goldsboro, NC and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Goldsboro, NC: $1,866 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Goldsboro, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$1,866
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Goldsboro, NC 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 Goldsboro, NC and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

  • Goldsboro, NC $1,866
  • Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,681 in Goldsboro, NC versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

  • Goldsboro, NC $2,681
  • Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Goldsboro, NC versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

  • Goldsboro, NC $3,496
  • Barcelona $4,431

Living in Goldsboro, NC costs roughly 22% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Goldsboro, NC 38% above, Barcelona 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.75 $14.75
$17.89 €15.92
-17.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.3 $52.3
$66.2 €58.9
-20.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.59 $9.59
$13.69 €12.18
-29.95%
Cappuccino
$4.33 $4.33
$3.06 €2.72
41.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$3.07 €2.73
-32.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.94 €1.73
-17.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.87 €3.44
-10.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.95 $4.95
$4.61 €4.10
7.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.30 €1.16
-33.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 $3.52
$2.10 €1.87
67.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.24 $3.24
$1.83 €1.62
77.05%
Eggs
$3.91 $3.91
$4.62 €4.11
-15.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.99 $12.99
$17.36 €15.44
-25.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.92 $8.92
$9.28 €8.25
-3.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.84 $15.84
$19.83 €17.64
-20.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.92 $3.92
$3.01 €2.68
30.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.03 €1.81
2.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.65 €2.36
26.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.18 $4.18
$2.87 €2.55
45.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 $2.34
$2.16 €1.92
8.33%
Onion (1kg)
$3.19 $3.19
$2.15 €1.91
48.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.47 €1.31
27.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$0.88 €0.79
136.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.23 $7.23
$6.93 €6.16
4.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.98 $13.98
$7.83 €6.96
78.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.39 €1.24
20.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.63 €2.34
11.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.91 €2.59
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$25.46 €22.64
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.95 $1.95
$3.00 €2.66
-35.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.44 €1.28
63.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.30 $18.30
$33.20 €29.53
-44.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 $0.72
$1.86 €1.65
-61.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K $25.4K
$32.3K €28.8K
-21.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K $23.3K
$31.7K €28.2K
-26.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 $120
$183 €163
-34.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.77 $48.77
$13.61 €12.11
258.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.78 $44.78
$32.93 €29.29
35.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.64 $45.64
$54.7 €48.65
-16.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.52 €14.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.23 $12.23
$11.23 €9.99
8.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$772 $772
$954 €849
-19.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K $12.2K
$16.6K €14.8K
-26.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$86.0 €76.5
-40.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.17 $37.17
$39.11 €34.78
-4.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.5 $70.5
$104 €92.2
-31.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.4 $69.4
$119 €106
-41.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,229 $1,229
$1,695 €1,508
-27.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$868 $868
$1,276 €1,135
-32.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 $1,702
$2,576 €2,291
-33.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,267 $1,267
$1,922 €1,710
-34.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,758 $1,758
$7,281 €6,477
-75.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,748 $1,748
$5,010 €4,456
-65.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Goldsboro, NC
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,448 $5,448
$2,227 €1,981
144.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
3.28
92.68%

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

Last update for Goldsboro, NC: October 20, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Goldsboro, NC
$868
Barcelona
$1.3K 47.1% $409
Groceries & Markets
Goldsboro, NC
$358
Barcelona
$325 9.2% $33
Eating Out
Goldsboro, NC
$241
Barcelona
$270 12% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goldsboro, NC
$213
Barcelona
$229 7.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Goldsboro, NC
$103
Barcelona
$156 52.2% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Goldsboro, NC
$70
Barcelona
$77 10.1% $7
Getting Around
Goldsboro, NC
$14 *
Barcelona
$47 244% $34

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 $1,229 in Goldsboro, NC and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Goldsboro, NC pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Goldsboro, NC vs $66.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $325, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Goldsboro, NC
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
23:57 11:57 PM
05:57 5:57 AM
6 h ahead of Goldsboro, NC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,203
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Goldsboro, NC Barcelona 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Goldsboro, NC
  • 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
Goldsboro, NC vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Goldsboro, NC and in Barcelona?
Goldsboro, NC and Barcelona differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,866 vs $2,381 including rent). Goldsboro, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Goldsboro, NC or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 145% higher in Goldsboro, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Goldsboro, NC and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Goldsboro, NC versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Goldsboro, NC and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $772 in Goldsboro, NC versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Goldsboro, NC – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Goldsboro, NC but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Goldsboro, NC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Goldsboro, NC and Barcelona?
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.
Is Goldsboro, NC or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Goldsboro, NC 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.
Where should expats move: Goldsboro, NC or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Goldsboro, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Goldsboro, NC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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