Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tempe, AZ and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,880 in Tempe, AZ versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,836 in Tempe, AZ versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,792 in Tempe, AZ versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Tempe, AZ is roughly 20% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tempe, AZ 113% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$17.94 €15.96

10.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$68.1 €60.5

19.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$13.28 €11.81

-0.83%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$3.25 €2.89

61.54%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.01 €2.67

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.87 €1.66

30.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.85 €3.42

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.48 €3.98

60.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.29 €1.15

-24.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.04 €1.81

105.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$1.72 €1.53

259.88%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$4.77 €4.24

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$16.77 €14.92

-18.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$8.93 €7.94

50.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$19.88 €17.68

-12.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.98 €2.65

79.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.03 €1.80

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.73 €2.43

50.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.68 €2.38

85.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.10 €1.87

20.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.08 €1.85

43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.45 €1.29

53.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.89 €0.79

155.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$6.94 €6.17

56.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$7.78 €6.92

75.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.45 €1.29

66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.57 €2.29

22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.99 €2.66

-35.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$25.20 €22.41

155.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.12 €2.77

-9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.44 €1.28

-4.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$33.50 €29.80

5.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.79 €1.59

-34.64%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$34.6K €30.8K

6.08%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$30.1K €26.7K

-14.29%

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

$240 $240

$178 €158

35.16%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$13.32 €11.85

360.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$34.88 €31.03

123.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$53.3 €47.37

-43.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$16.01 €14.24

-5.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$11.06 €9.84

24.77%

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

$1,107 $1,107

$957 €851

15.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$16.6K €14.7K

-7.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$88.2 €78.4

-28.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$39.49 €35.12

12.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$103 €91.5

-4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$121 €108

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$1,653 €1,470

14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,302 €1,158

12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,557 €2,275

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,915 €1,703

-12.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 $3,960

$2,281 €2,029

73.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.28

98.17%

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

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 10.8% $158

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 25.7% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 40.5% $154

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 17.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 10.6% $15

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

Barcelona

$47 2% 42% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 30.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tempe, AZ pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Tempe, AZ vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

13:05 1:05 PM

9 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

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

On the map

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Between locations

Tempe, AZ Barcelona 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, AZ
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

Tempe, AZ vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tempe, AZ and Barcelona differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,880 vs $2,399 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Tempe, AZ, 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: $1,894 in Tempe, AZ versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,107 in Tempe, AZ versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Tempe, AZ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, Tempe, AZ 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 20% less than in Tempe, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.