Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata, MD and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in La Plata, MD and in Barcelona: $2,441 and $2,453 a month, rent and utilities included.

La Plata, MD, United States
Barcelona, Spain
La Plata, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,441
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in La Plata, MD versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • La Plata, MD $2,441
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,635 in La Plata, MD versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • La Plata, MD $3,635
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,829 in La Plata, MD versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • La Plata, MD $4,829
  • Barcelona $4,564

Monthly costs are close between La Plata, MD and Barcelona; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Plata, MD 79% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.52 $13.52
$17.59 €15.80
-23.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.4 $90.4
$67.5 €60.6
33.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.62 $7.62
$13.53 €12.15
-43.68%
Cappuccino
$6.29 $6.29
$3.19 €2.87
97.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.91 €2.62
-3.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.89 €1.70
35.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 $3.46
$4.01 €3.60
-13.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.96 $4.96
$4.53 €4.07
9.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.31 €1.17
28.24%
White Bread (500g)
$4.42 $4.42
$2.02 €1.81
118.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.23 $6.23
$1.85 €1.66
236.76%
Eggs
$1.81 $1.81
$4.83 €4.34
-62.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.70 $12.70
$16.74 €15.03
-24.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.81 $8.81
$9.12 €8.19
-3.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.15 $13.15
$19.64 €17.64
-33.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.89 $4.89
$2.98 €2.68
64.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$2.02 €1.81
-18.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.32 $6.32
$2.70 €2.43
134.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$2.80 €2.52
58.57%
Potato (1kg)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.09 €1.87
45.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.07 €1.86
0.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.46 €1.31
43.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 $2.72
$0.94 €0.84
189.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.85 $11.85
$6.87 €6.17
72.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.37 $14.37
$7.89 €7.08
82.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.41 €1.26
19.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.10 $5.10
$2.54 €2.28
100.79%
🚌 Getting Around
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 $1.94
$3.14 €2.82
-38.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.1 $58.1
$25.45 €22.86
128.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$2.99 €2.69
-8.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.49 €1.34
12.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 $29.72
$33.37 €29.98
-10.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.80 €1.61
-43.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K $32.6K
$33.2K €29.8K
-1.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.5K $30.5K
$31.7K €28.5K
-3.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 $97.8
$180 €162
-45.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.02 $42.02
$13.84 €12.43
203.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.5 $73.5
$33.70 €30.27
118.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.39 $40.39
$51.5 €46.27
-21.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.96 €14.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.14 $15.14
$10.99 €9.88
37.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,210 $1,210
$917 €823
32.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K $23.0K
$16.5K €14.8K
39.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.79 $47.79
$87.0 €78.2
-45.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.43 $36.43
$38.51 €34.59
-5.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$106 €95.1
5.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 $121
$120 €108
0.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,575 $1,575
$1,699 €1,527
-7.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 $1,284
$1,355 €1,217
-5.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,492 $2,492
$2,603 €2,338
-4.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,098 $2,098
$2,062 €1,853
1.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,038 $3,038
$6,915 €6,211
-56.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,428 $2,428
$5,128 €4,606
-52.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Plata, MD
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,502 $6,502
$2,211 €1,986
194.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.25
3.28
90.55%

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

Last update for La Plata, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
La Plata, MD
$1.3K
Barcelona
$1.4K 5.6% $72
Groceries & Markets
La Plata, MD
$398
Barcelona
$322 19.2% $76
Eating Out
La Plata, MD
$255
Barcelona
$268 5% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Plata, MD
$213
Barcelona
$228 6.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
La Plata, MD
$143
Barcelona
$158 10.8% $15
Getting Around
La Plata, MD
$77
Barcelona
$48 37% $29
Sport & Entertainment
La Plata, MD
$71
Barcelona
$74 4% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in La Plata, MD and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Plata, MD pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in La Plata, MD vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $322 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 La Plata, MD
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
18:13 6:13 PM
23:13 11:13 PM
5 h ahead of La Plata, MD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,000
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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Plata, MD Barcelona 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • La Plata, MD
  • 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
La Plata, MD vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: La Plata, MD or Barcelona?
Average pay in La Plata, MD is about 2.9 times higher, 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 La Plata, MD and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,575 in La Plata, MD versus $1,699 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 La Plata, MD and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $1,210 in La Plata, MD versus $917 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 Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $90 in La Plata, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between La Plata, MD 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.

La Plata, MD vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?