Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,664 in Rock Island, IL versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

Rock Island, IL $2,664
Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,843 in Rock Island, IL versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

Rock Island, IL $3,843
Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,023 in Rock Island, IL versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

Rock Island, IL $5,023
Barcelona $4,431

Living in Rock Island, IL is roughly 12% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rock Island, IL 97% above, Barcelona 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$17.89 €15.92

12.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$66.2 €58.9

1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$13.69 €12.18

-6.21%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.06 €2.72

92.81%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$3.07 €2.73

2.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.94 €1.73

23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$3.87 €3.44

82.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.61 €4.10

72.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 €1.16

-27.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.10 €1.87

67.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.83 €1.62

131.15%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.62 €4.11

-19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$17.36 €15.44

-13.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$9.28 €8.25

41.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$19.83 €17.64

1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.01 €2.68

57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.03 €1.81

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.65 €2.36

94.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.87 €2.55

66.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.16 €1.92

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.15 €1.91

45.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.47 €1.31

46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.88 €0.79

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$6.93 €6.16

54.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$7.83 €6.96

98.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.39 €1.24

91.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.63 €2.34

65.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.91 €2.59

-37.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.00 €2.66

32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.44 €1.28

38.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$33.20 €29.53

33.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.86 €1.65

-46.24%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$32.3K €28.8K

-3.59%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$31.7K €28.2K

-19.15%

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

$267 $267

$183 €163

46.05%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$13.61 €12.11

284.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$32.93 €29.29

144.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$54.7 €48.65

-17.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$11.23 €9.99

34.64%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$954 €849

80.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$16.6K €14.8K

43.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$86.0 €76.5

-25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$39.11 €34.78

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$104 €92.2

3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$119 €106

0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$1,695 €1,508

6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$1,276 €1,135

-2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,576 €2,291

1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,922 €1,710

5.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$7,281 €6,477

-60.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$5,010 €4,456

-54.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.28

103.96%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6% 3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

Barcelona

$325 13.7% 24.6% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

Barcelona

$229 9.6% 42.7% $171

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 21.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

Barcelona

$156 6.6% 1.4% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

Barcelona

$77 3.2% 2.3% $1.8

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

Barcelona

$47 2% 123% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,812 in Rock Island, IL and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rock Island, IL vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $325 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

03:51 3:51 AM

7 h ahead of Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rock Island, IL Barcelona 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rock Island, IL
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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

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

Rock Island, IL and Barcelona differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,664 vs $2,381 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Rock Island, IL and $3,571 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: $1,812 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,719 in Rock Island, IL versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $67.0 in Rock Island, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Rock Island, IL 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 12% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.