Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Ottawa, IL and in Barcelona: $2,495 and $2,453 a month, rent and utilities included.

120

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
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Ottawa, IL Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Ottawa, IL versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Ottawa, IL $2,495
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Ottawa, IL versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Ottawa, IL $3,579
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,663 in Ottawa, IL versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Ottawa, IL $4,663
Barcelona $4,564

Monthly costs are close between Ottawa, IL and Barcelona; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ottawa, IL 83% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 $14.87

$17.59 €15.80

-15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$67.5 €60.6

-11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.53 €12.15

-27.49%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$3.19 €2.87

50.16%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$2.91 €2.62

-25.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.89 €1.70

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.01 €3.60

36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.53 €4.07

18.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.31 €1.17

-40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.02 €1.81

53.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.85 €1.66

62.16%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$4.83 €4.34

-20.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$16.74 €15.03

-26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$9.12 €8.19

-34.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$19.64 €17.64

-36.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.98 €2.68

18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.02 €1.81

-28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.70 €2.43

19.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.80 €2.52

55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.09 €1.87

-3.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.07 €1.86

9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.46 €1.31

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.94 €0.84

29.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.39 $12.39

$6.87 €6.17

80.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$7.89 €7.08

87.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.41 €1.26

53.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.54 €2.28

54.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.14 €2.82

-38.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$25.45 €22.86

148.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.99 €2.69

-17.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.49 €1.34

6.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.24 $28.24

$33.37 €29.98

-15.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.80 €1.61

-37.78%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.2K €29.8K

-18.36%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.7K €28.5K

-14.40%

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

$241 $241

$180 €162

33.36%

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

$45.26 $45.26

$13.84 €12.43

227.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$33.70 €30.27

102.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.92 $36.92

$51.5 €46.27

-28.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 $26.55

$15.96 €14.34

66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 $11.43

$10.99 €9.88

4.00%

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

$1,012 $1,012

$917 €823

10.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K $19.8K

$16.5K €14.8K

20.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.00 $49.00

$87.0 €78.2

-43.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 $44.39

$38.51 €34.59

15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$106 €95.1

11.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$120 €108

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 $1,494

$1,699 €1,527

-12.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$1,355 €1,217

-5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$2,603 €2,338

-3.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$2,062 €1,853

1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,189 $3,189

$6,915 €6,211

-53.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$5,128 €4,606

-48.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,211 €1,986

7.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.28

107.93%

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

Last update for Ottawa, IL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa, IL

$1.3K 51.2%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 6.2% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa, IL

$354 14.2%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 35.6% $126

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa, IL

$314 12.6%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 2.6% $8.2

Eating Out

Ottawa, IL

$260 10.4%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 3.1% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa, IL

$150 6%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 5.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Ottawa, IL

$81 3.3%

Barcelona

$48 2% 40.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa, IL

$60 2.4%

Barcelona

$74 3% 23% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,494 in Ottawa, IL and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ottawa, IL pays 8% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Ottawa, IL vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $322 per month, with Ottawa, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

23:55 11:55 PM

6 h ahead of Ottawa, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ottawa, IL Barcelona 7,200 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa, IL
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

Ottawa, IL vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 8% higher in Ottawa, IL, 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: $1,494 in Ottawa, IL versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,012 in Ottawa, IL versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ottawa, IL – a meal for two runs $60 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Ottawa, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.