Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,175 in Long Beach, CA versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,908 in Long Beach, CA versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,641 in Long Beach, CA versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Long Beach, CA is roughly 27% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Beach, CA 131% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 $20.13

$18.39 €15.83

9.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$69.2 €59.5

17.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.13 €12.16

4.46%

Cappuccino

$6.30 $6.30

$3.13 €2.70

101.28%

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

$3.43 $3.43

$3.02 €2.59

13.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.96 €1.69

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 $7.41

$4.00 €3.44

85.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 $9.67

$4.76 €4.10

103.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.25 €1.07

-16.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.16 €1.86

87.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.69 €1.45

178.11%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$4.93 €4.24

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$17.88 €15.39

-27.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$9.61 €8.27

53.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$19.34 €16.64

-21.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.24 €2.78

50.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.18 €1.87

-23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.67 €2.30

102.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.77 €2.39

105.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.21 €1.90

65.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.19 €1.88

5.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.52 €1.31

34.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.92 €0.79

109.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.61 $11.61

$7.12 €6.13

63.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$8.14 €7.00

81.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.50 €1.29

27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.78 €2.39

52.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.15 €2.71

-45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 $68.1

$26.99 €23.23

152.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.25 €2.80

-12.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.50 €1.29

64.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 $60.3

$34.89 €30.03

72.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.75 €1.50

-19.43%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$36.7K €31.5K

1.25%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$30.9K €26.6K

-17.26%

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

$167 $167

$188 €161

-11.13%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$15.44 €13.29

345.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$37.80 €32.52

59.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.47 $40.47

$57.2 €49.21

-29.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$11.58 €9.96

28.41%

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

$1,640 $1,640

$1,003 €863

63.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$17.0K €14.6K

119.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$89.2 €76.8

-35.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.58 $39.58

$40.87 €35.17

-3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$110 €94.6

-15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$123 €106

16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 $2,085

$1,673 €1,440

24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 $1,798

$1,331 €1,146

35.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,619 $3,619

$2,596 €2,234

39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 $3,481

$1,950 €1,678

78.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,117 $7,117

$7,573 €6,517

-6.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,810 $6,810

$5,370 €4,621

26.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,374 $4,374

$2,402 €2,067

82.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.13

3.16

93.99%

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

Last update for Long Beach, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,085 in Long Beach, CA and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Beach, CA pays 82% 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: $81.0 in Long Beach, CA vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $332 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

Long Beach, CA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Long Beach, CA and Barcelona differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($3,175 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Long Beach, CA, 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: $2,085 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,640 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Long Beach, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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, Long Beach, CA 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 27% less than in Long Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.