Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,396 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,829 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,263 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Winston-Salem, NC costs roughly 3% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winston-Salem, NC 75% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.88 $22.88

$18.74 €16.33

22.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$69.5 €60.6

13.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$13.77 €12.00

-28.61%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.10 €2.70

75.81%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$2.83 €2.47

4.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.88 €1.64

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.98 €3.47

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.53 €3.95

29.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.27 €1.11

11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.16 €1.88

113.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.73 $9.73

$1.76 €1.53

452.84%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$5.13 €4.47

7.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.72 $17.72

$17.88 €15.59

-0.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$9.65 €8.41

43.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.07 $27.07

$20.15 €17.56

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.89 $7.89

$3.25 €2.84

142.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.23 €1.94

39.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$2.60 €2.27

161.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$2.76 €2.40

176.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.21 €1.93

113.57%

Onion (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$2.12 €1.85

196.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.55 €1.35

83.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$0.95 €0.83

275.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 $7.80

$7.34 €6.40

6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$8.05 €7.01

85.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.54 €1.35

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.79 €2.43

58.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.11 €2.71

-34.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.73 $29.73

$25.86 €22.54

14.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.27 €2.85

107.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.48 €1.29

58.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.87 $14.87

$34.27 €29.88

-56.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.73 €1.51

-46.24%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.4K €31.7K

-0.89%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$30.5K €26.6K

-14.32%

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

$174 $174

$187 €163

-7.25%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$15.14 €13.20

238.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$37.69 €32.85

64.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.29 $48.29

$55.9 €48.76

-13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 $16.20

$17.08 €14.89

-5.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$11.41 €9.95

4.82%

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

$1,324 $1,324

$997 €869

32.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$16.5K €14.4K

-39.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.03 $39.03

$92.6 €80.8

-57.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.35 $31.35

$41.22 €35.93

-23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 $87.3

$111 €96.9

-21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 $94.8

$125 €109

-24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 $1,435

$1,707 €1,488

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 $960

$1,286 €1,121

-25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 $2,631

$2,565 €2,236

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 $1,886

$1,942 €1,693

-2.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,340 $6,340

$7,647 €6,666

-17.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 $3,293

$5,167 €4,504

-36.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,499 $3,499

$2,348 €2,047

49.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

3.16

91.14%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,435 in Winston-Salem, NC and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winston-Salem, NC pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $576 vs $336 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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winston-Salem, NC and Barcelona differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,396 vs $2,476 including rent). Winston-Salem, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Winston-Salem, NC, 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: $1,435 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,324 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 72% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Winston-Salem, NC 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, Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.