Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Geneva, WI and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Lake Geneva, WI and in Barcelona: $2,464 and $2,381 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lake Geneva, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,464
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

  • Lake Geneva, WI $2,464
  • Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,622 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

  • Lake Geneva, WI $3,622
  • Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

  • Lake Geneva, WI $4,780
  • Barcelona $4,431

Living in Lake Geneva, WI is roughly 3% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Geneva, WI 82% above, Barcelona 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.49 $21.49
$17.89 €15.92
20.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.0 $90.0
$66.2 €58.9
36.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.95 $12.95
$13.69 €12.18
-5.41%
Cappuccino
$5.82 $5.82
$3.06 €2.72
90.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$3.07 €2.73
-12.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.94 €1.73
21.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.95 $6.95
$3.87 €3.44
79.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.86 $8.86
$4.61 €4.10
92.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.30 €1.16
-22.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.10 €1.87
17.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.06 $5.06
$1.83 €1.62
176.50%
Eggs
$2.00 $2.00
$4.62 €4.11
-56.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.97 $13.97
$17.36 €15.44
-19.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 $9.65
$9.28 €8.25
3.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.92 $9.92
$19.83 €17.64
-49.97%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 $4.13
$3.01 €2.68
37.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$2.03 €1.81
-4.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.14 $4.14
$2.65 €2.36
56.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.72 $4.72
$2.87 €2.55
64.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.16 €1.92
23.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.15 €1.91
23.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.47 €1.31
50.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.97 $2.97
$0.88 €0.79
237.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.45 $8.45
$6.93 €6.16
21.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.84 $12.84
$7.83 €6.96
63.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.39 €1.24
91.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 $3.37
$2.63 €2.34
28.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.15 $2.15
$2.91 €2.59
-26.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$25.46 €22.64
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 $3.30
$3.00 €2.66
10.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.44 €1.28
-5.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.17 $25.17
$33.20 €29.53
-24.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.86 €1.65
-51.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$32.3K €28.8K
9.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$31.7K €28.2K
-17.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$183 €163
4.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.3 $67.3
$13.61 €12.11
394.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.6 $50.6
$32.93 €29.29
53.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.35 $42.35
$54.7 €48.65
-22.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.52 €14.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.13 $10.13
$11.23 €9.99
-9.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,687 $1,687
$954 €849
76.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.5K $31.5K
$16.6K €14.8K
89.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.7 $66.7
$86.0 €76.5
-22.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 $50.7
$39.11 €34.78
29.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 $98.3
$104 €92.2
-5.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$119 €106
22.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,610 $1,610
$1,695 €1,508
-5.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 $1,198
$1,276 €1,135
-6.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,754 $2,754
$2,576 €2,291
6.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,911 $1,911
$1,922 €1,710
-0.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,513 $2,513
$7,281 €6,477
-65.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,682 $2,682
$5,010 €4,456
-46.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lake Geneva, WI
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,761 $3,761
$2,227 €1,981
68.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
3.28
96.65%

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

Last update for Lake Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lake Geneva, WI
$1.2K
Barcelona
$1.3K 6.5% $78
Groceries & Markets
Lake Geneva, WI
$359
Barcelona
$325 9.4% $34
Eating Out
Lake Geneva, WI
$353
Barcelona
$270 23.7% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Geneva, WI
$310
Barcelona
$229 25.9% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Lake Geneva, WI
$163
Barcelona
$156 3.9% $6.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lake Geneva, WI
$63
Barcelona
$77 23.3% $15
Getting Around
Lake Geneva, WI
$19 *
Barcelona
$47 153% $29

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 $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Geneva, WI pays 69% 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: $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $325 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
22:17 10:17 PM
05:17 5:17 AM
7 h ahead of Lake Geneva, WI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
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 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
  • Lake Geneva, WI Barcelona 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lake Geneva, WI
  • 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
Lake Geneva, WI vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lake Geneva, WI and in Barcelona?
Lake Geneva, WI and Barcelona differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,464 vs $2,381 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lake Geneva, WI or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 69% higher in Lake Geneva, WI, 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 Lake Geneva, WI and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI 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 Lake Geneva, WI and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $1,687 in Lake Geneva, WI 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 Barcelona – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lake Geneva, WI 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 Lake Geneva, WI or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lake Geneva, WI 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: Lake Geneva, WI or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Lake Geneva, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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