Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,386 in Memphis, TN versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,536 in Memphis, TN versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,687 in Memphis, TN versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Memphis, TN costs roughly 4% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Memphis, TN 74% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 $18.28

$18.39 €15.87

-0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$69.2 €59.7

8.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$14.13 €12.19

-16.77%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$3.13 €2.70

76.68%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$3.02 €2.60

-18.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.96 €1.69

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 $7.21

$4.00 €3.45

80.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.76 €4.11

64.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.25 €1.08

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.16 €1.87

40.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.69 €1.45

140.83%

Eggs

$3.36 $3.36

$4.93 €4.26

-31.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$17.88 €15.43

-37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$9.61 €8.29

15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 $18.36

$19.34 €16.69

-5.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.24 €2.79

37.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.18 €1.88

-22.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.67 €2.30

83.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.77 €2.39

71.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.21 €1.91

47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.19 €1.89

61.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.52 €1.31

70.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.92 €0.80

154.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.28 $8.28

$7.12 €6.14

16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 $13.40

$8.14 €7.02

64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.50 €1.29

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.78 €2.40

-40.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.15 €2.72

-68.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 $49.07

$26.99 €23.29

81.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.25 €2.80

-39.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.50 €1.30

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.84 $19.84

$34.89 €30.11

-43.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.75 €1.51

-42.86%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$36.7K €31.6K

2.50%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$30.9K €26.7K

-12.90%

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

$169 $169

$188 €162

-9.68%

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

$84.7 $84.7

$15.44 €13.32

448.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$37.80 €32.61

96.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.39 $32.39

$57.2 €49.34

-43.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.12 $16.12

$16.80 €14.49

-4.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$11.58 €9.99

27.63%

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

$1,706 $1,706

$1,003 €865

70.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

$17.0K €14.7K

60.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.74 $44.74

$89.2 €77.0

-49.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.61 $31.61

$40.87 €35.27

-22.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 $75.9

$110 €94.9

-30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$123 €106

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 $1,383

$1,673 €1,444

-17.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 $1,139

$1,331 €1,149

-14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 $1,974

$2,596 €2,240

-23.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 $1,819

$1,950 €1,683

-6.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,746 $1,746

$7,573 €6,535

-76.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,337 $1,337

$5,370 €4,634

-75.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,490 $3,490

$2,402 €2,073

45.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.06

3.16

91.77%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,383 in Memphis, TN and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Memphis, TN pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Memphis, TN vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 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

Memphis, TN vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Memphis, TN and Barcelona differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,386 vs $2,495 including rent). Memphis, TN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Memphis, TN, 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: $1,383 in Memphis, TN versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,706 in Memphis, TN versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,386 in Memphis, TN versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Memphis, TN but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Memphis, TN 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, Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.