Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,979 in Madison, WI versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,390 in Madison, WI versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,802 in Madison, WI versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Madison, WI is roughly 20% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madison, WI 118% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$18.74 €16.32

6.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 $66.5

$69.5 €60.5

-4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.06 $13.06

$13.77 €11.99

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$3.10 €2.70

81.94%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$2.83 €2.47

14.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.88 €1.64

31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.98 €3.47

72.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$4.53 €3.95

70.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.27 €1.11

-25.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.16 €1.88

66.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.76 €1.53

162.50%

Eggs

$3.62 $3.62

$5.13 €4.47

-29.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$17.88 €15.57

-17.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$9.65 €8.41

37.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$20.15 €17.55

-0.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.25 €2.83

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.23 €1.94

-28.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.60 €2.27

107.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.76 €2.40

80.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.21 €1.93

25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.12 €1.84

46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.55 €1.35

34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.95 €0.83

154.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.81 $10.81

$7.34 €6.40

47.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 $15.85

$8.05 €7.01

96.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.54 €1.35

79.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.79 €2.43

55.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.11 €2.71

-35.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$25.86 €22.53

150.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.27 €2.85

18.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.48 €1.29

33.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.90 $42.90

$34.27 €29.85

25.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.73 €1.51

-41.62%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$36.4K €31.7K

-2.59%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$30.5K €26.6K

-18.28%

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

$273 $273

$187 €163

45.83%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$15.14 €13.19

240.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$37.69 €32.82

113.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 $58.9

$55.9 €48.72

5.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 $10.52

$17.08 €14.88

-38.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$11.41 €9.94

31.90%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$997 €868

72.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$16.5K €14.4K

43.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$92.6 €80.7

-29.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.75 $49.75

$41.22 €35.91

20.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$111 €96.9

-4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$125 €109

-4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 $1,739

$1,707 €1,487

1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 $1,510

$1,286 €1,120

17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,144 $3,144

$2,565 €2,234

22.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 $2,544

$1,942 €1,691

30.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,481 $4,481

$7,647 €6,661

-41.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$5,167 €4,500

-52.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,387 $4,387

$2,348 €2,046

86.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

3.16

98.10%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,739 in Madison, WI and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madison, WI pays 87% 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: $67.0 in Madison, WI vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $435 vs $336, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Madison, WI vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madison, WI and Barcelona differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,979 vs $2,476 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Madison, WI, 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: $1,739 in Madison, WI versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,722 in Madison, WI versus $997 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 Madison, WI. 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, Madison, 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.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Madison, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.