Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between University Place, WA and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. The total is higher in University Place, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,876 in University Place, WA versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

University Place, WA $2,876
Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in University Place, WA versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

University Place, WA $4,279
Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,682 in University Place, WA versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

University Place, WA $5,682
Barcelona $4,595

Living in University Place, WA is roughly 18% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: University Place, WA 113% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.38 $23.38

$17.66 €15.80

32.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$67.5 €60.4

49.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$13.61 €12.18

-10.73%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$3.10 €2.77

96.13%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$3.00 €2.69

4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.93 €1.72

62.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.84 €3.44

106.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$4.36 €3.90

80.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.25 €1.12

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.12 €1.90

91.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$1.97 €1.77

202.03%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$4.76 €4.26

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$17.07 €15.27

-5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.19 $18.19

$8.96 €8.01

103.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.33 $23.33

$20.65 €18.48

12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.16 €2.83

87.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.97 €1.76

-10.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.65 €2.37

109.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.88 €2.58

55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.06 €1.84

68.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.18 €1.95

29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.53 €1.37

28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.97 €0.87

215.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.43 $12.43

$6.97 €6.23

78.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 $18.17

$7.89 €7.06

130.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.42 €1.27

23.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.69 €2.40

84.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.31 €2.96

-35.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 $65.8

$25.61 €22.91

156.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.08 €2.76

-13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.48 €1.33

14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$32.87 €29.42

-7.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.87 €1.67

-22.46%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.0K €29.5K

-15.36%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$31.9K €28.6K

-17.07%

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

$233 $233

$183 €164

27.44%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$14.24 €12.74

382.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.6 $88.6

$34.56 €30.93

156.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 $39.56

$51.4 €46.01

-23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.66

Cinema Ticket

$17.88 $17.88

$11.06 €9.90

61.66%

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

$2,087 $2,087

$944 €844

121.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$22.3K €19.9K

25.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$87.7 €78.5

-31.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.90 $44.90

$38.77 €34.70

15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 $130

$105 €93.6

24.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$118 €105

8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$1,697 €1,518

-7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$1,337 €1,196

-4.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 $2,599

$2,692 €2,409

-3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$2,077 €1,858

1.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,918 $2,918

$7,155 €6,402

-59.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,644 $2,644

$5,079 €4,545

-47.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,149 $8,149

$2,241 €2,006

263.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.19

108.15%

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

Last update for University Place, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

University Place, WA

$1.3K 44.5%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 4.4% $57

Groceries & Markets

University Place, WA

$505 17.6%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 35.1% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

University Place, WA

$390 13.6%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 40.6% $159

Eating Out

University Place, WA

$377 13.1%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 29.2% $110

Clothing & Footwear

University Place, WA

$163 5.7%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 3.8% $6.2

Getting Around

University Place, WA

$85 3%

Barcelona

$49 2% 42.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

University Place, WA

$75 2.6%

Barcelona

$74 3% 2.3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in University Place, WA and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

University Place, WA pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in University Place, WA vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $328 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

16:12 4:12 PM

9 h ahead of University Place, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,866

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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Between locations

University Place, WA Barcelona 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

University Place, WA
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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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,876 in University Place, WA and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Barcelona is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in University Place, WA is about 3.6 times higher, 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: $1,573 in University Place, WA versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,087 in University Place, WA versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in University Place, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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