Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,739 in Saint Charles, IL versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,040 in Saint Charles, IL versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,341 in Saint Charles, IL versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Saint Charles, IL is roughly 17% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Charles, IL 104% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.11 $37.11

$17.08 €14.72

117.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$69.2 €59.7

46.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 $10.40

$13.78 €11.87

-24.53%

Cappuccino

$6.96 $6.96

$2.76 €2.37

152.17%

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

$3.28 $3.28

$2.79 €2.40

17.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.99 €1.72

47.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$4.36 €3.76

62.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 $7.47

$4.74 €4.09

57.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.29 €1.11

-22.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.05 €1.77

73.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.99 €1.71

115.08%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$3.39 €2.92

35.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$18.81 €16.21

-33.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$9.36 €8.07

21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$19.12 €16.48

-31.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.70 €2.32

86.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.34 €2.02

-54.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.12 €1.83

102.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.85 €2.46

64.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.97 €1.70

43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.80 €1.55

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.45 €1.25

5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.86 €0.74

147.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$6.78 €5.84

45.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$7.90 €6.81

90.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.39 €1.20

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.37 €2.04

38.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.92 €2.52

-32.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.46 €3.84

-20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.05 €1.77

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.38 $29.38

$29.55 €25.46

-0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.82 €1.56

-51.10%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$38.8K €33.5K

-25.04%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.1K €28.5K

-21.34%

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

$191 $191

$189 €163

0.67%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$22.80 €19.65

136.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$37.59 €32.39

83.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.79 $43.79

$57.7 €49.75

-24.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 $13.64

$10.82 €9.33

26.06%

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

$1,304 $1,304

$728 €628

79.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$14.8K €12.7K

60.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$88.6 €76.4

-41.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.47 $39.47

$36.85 €31.75

7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 $86.7

$102 €87.9

-15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$116 €100

-4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$1,569 €1,352

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$1,218 €1,050

11.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$2,795 €2,409

-4.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 $2,218

$1,975 €1,702

12.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,917 $2,917

$7,754 €6,680

-62.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,092 $2,092

$5,176 €4,460

-59.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.39

92.04%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,587 in Saint Charles, IL and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Saint Charles, IL vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $319 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

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

Saint Charles, IL and Barcelona differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,739 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,108 in Saint Charles, IL and $3,505 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: $1,587 in Saint Charles, IL versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,304 in Saint Charles, IL versus $728 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 $69.0 versus $101 in Saint Charles, 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, Saint Charles, 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 17% less than in Saint Charles, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.