Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,719 in Medford, MA versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Medford, MA versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,306 in Medford, MA versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

Living in Medford, MA is roughly 16% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medford, MA 103% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.08 $19.08

$17.45 €14.88

9.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$69.8 €59.6

44.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 $11.04

$13.91 €11.86

-20.63%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$2.74 €2.34

108.39%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$2.70 €2.30

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.03 €1.73

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 $8.04

$4.51 €3.85

78.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$4.61 €3.93

97.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.28 €1.09

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.10 €1.79

56.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.99 €1.70

50.75%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.45 €2.95

36.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 $10.67

$18.61 €15.87

-42.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 $9.50

$9.41 €8.03

0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.60 $20.60

$18.70 €15.95

10.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.61 €2.22

126.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.39 €2.04

-11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.19 €1.86

160.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.81 €2.40

107.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.03 €1.73

116.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.87 €1.60

103.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.45 €1.24

90.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.92 €0.79

140.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 $11.04

$6.82 €5.82

61.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$7.71 €6.58

95.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.38 €1.18

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.33 €1.99

-16.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.88 €2.46

-17.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 $91.8

$29.04 €24.77

216.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$4.43 €3.78

-42.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.14 €1.82

-20.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.54 $28.54

$28.96 €24.71

-1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.90 €1.62

-55.79%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$37.9K €32.3K

-20.27%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$33.3K €28.4K

-25.15%

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

$193 $193

$186 €158

4.10%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$22.17 €18.91

164.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$36.52 €31.15

78.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.63 $42.63

$58.4 €49.81

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

Cinema Ticket

$14.59 $14.59

$11.10 €9.47

31.44%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$705 €601

114.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$15.2K €13.0K

83.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$86.4 €73.7

-40.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 $32.20

$36.88 €31.46

-12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 $65.7

$104 €88.8

-36.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 $82.0

$115 €98.4

-28.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$1,538 €1,312

3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$1,242 €1,060

10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,656 $2,656

$2,728 €2,327

-2.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 $2,209

$2,011 €1,716

9.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.39

89.68%

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

Last update for Medford, MA: April 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,588 in Medford, MA and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Medford, MA vs $70 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $318 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

Medford, MA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medford, MA and Barcelona differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,719 vs $2,336 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,079 in Medford, MA and $3,504 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,588 in Medford, MA versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,513 in Medford, MA versus $705 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Medford, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,719 in Medford, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Medford, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Medford, MA 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 16% less than in Medford, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.