Cost of Living Comparison Between University Place, WA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between University Place, WA and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,693 in University Place, WA versus $2,316 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in University Place, WA versus $3,458 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,276 in University Place, WA versus $4,601 in Barcelona.

Living in University Place, WA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: University Place, WA 102% above, Barcelona 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 $16.66

$17.19 €15.06

-3.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$70.7 €62.0

65.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.60 $12.60

$14.02 €12.29

-10.13%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$2.78 €2.44

116.55%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.78 €2.44

5.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.05 €1.79

20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.24 $9.24

$4.52 €3.96

104.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.80 $11.80

$4.67 €4.09

152.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.29 €1.13

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.14 €1.87

96.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.93 €1.69

44.04%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$3.49 €3.05

35.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$18.52 €16.23

-38.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$9.53 €8.35

69.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 $19.49

$18.90 €16.56

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.62 €2.30

91.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.34 €2.05

-29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.08 €1.82

143.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.85 €2.50

31.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.96 €1.72

72.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.85 €1.62

48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.53 €1.34

28.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.90 €0.79

235.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 $11.02

$6.77 €5.93

62.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 $18.74

$7.79 €6.82

140.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.38 €1.21

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.32 €2.04

47.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.00 €2.62

-34.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.58 €4.01

-41.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.13 €1.86

-8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.69 $29.69

$29.55 €25.89

0.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.80 €1.57

-33.89%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$38.5K €33.7K

-21.82%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$33.3K €29.1K

-22.54%

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

$157 $157

$185 €162

-15.35%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$22.68 €19.87

132.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$36.78 €32.22

143.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.32 $43.32

$57.8 €50.6

-25.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 $17.77

$10.83 €9.49

64.08%

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

$2,070 $2,070

$727 €637

184.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.8K $29.8K

$14.7K €12.9K

101.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$87.6 €76.7

-32.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 $36.81

$37.37 €32.74

-1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$103 €90.5

-4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$119 €104

-3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 $1,615

$1,560 €1,367

3.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$1,221 €1,070

12.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,664 $2,664

$2,742 €2,402

-2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,258 $2,258

$1,992 €1,745

13.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,758 $2,758

$7,489 €6,562

-63.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,148 $2,148

$5,207 €4,562

-58.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,932 $7,932

$2,355 €2,063

236.87%

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 University Place, WA: July 21, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,615 in University Place, WA and $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

University Place, WA pays 237% 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: $117 in University Place, WA vs $71.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 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

University Place, WA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

University Place, WA and Barcelona differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,693 vs $2,316 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 237% higher in University Place, WA, 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: $1,615 in University Place, WA versus $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,070 in University Place, WA versus $727 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 $71.0 versus $117 in University Place, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,693 in University Place, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in University Place, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, University Place, WA 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 16% less than in University Place, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.