Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ambert

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambert: $1,879 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Ambert
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Ambert Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Ambert

🇫🇷 France

$1,879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ambert

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Ambert actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,879 in Ambert.

Barcelona $2,443
Ambert $1,879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,929 in Ambert.

Barcelona $3,519
Ambert $2,929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,979 in Ambert.

Barcelona $4,595
Ambert $3,979

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Ambert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Ambert 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.79

$16.94 €15.15

4.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$72.4 €64.7

-6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.17

$13.43 €12.01

1.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.77

$3.69 €3.30

-15.99%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$2.88 €2.58

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.96 €1.75

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.44

$5.74 €5.13

-33.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.90

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.39 €1.24

-10.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.20 €1.97

-3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.69 €2.41

-26.77%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.26

$3.67 €3.28

29.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.26

$18.42 €16.47

-7.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €8.01

$13.66 €12.21

-34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.46

$24.62 €22.02

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$2.84 €2.54

11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.37 €2.12

-16.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.37

$2.86 €2.55

-7.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.58

$3.78 €3.38

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.33 €2.08

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.94 €2.63

-25.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.77 €1.58

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$0.61 €0.54

59.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.23

$14.19 €12.69

-50.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.05

$7.67 €6.86

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$3.77 €3.37

-62.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

$2.70 €2.41

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.96

$1.98 €1.77

67.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.90

$49.40 €44.18

-48.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.76

$5.10 €4.56

-39.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.72 €1.54

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.40

$34.08 €30.47

-3.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.20 €1.96

-15.00%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$34.3K €30.6K

-3.79%

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

$31.9K €28.6K

$38.4K €34.4K

-16.89%

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

$183 €164

$220 €197

-16.83%

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

$14.24 €12.73

$16.90 €15.11

-15.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.91

$32.65 €29.20

5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.98

$35.54 €31.78

44.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.65

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.89

$13.85 €12.38

-20.14%

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

$944 €844

$754 €674

25.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$13.1K €11.8K

69.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.4

$89.0 €79.6

-1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.67

$64.2 €57.4

-39.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$104 €93.0

0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$179 €160

-34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,517

$754 €674

124.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,195

$617 €552

116.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,407

$1,446 €1,293

86.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,857

$1,165 €1,042

78.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,398

$4,208 €3,763

70.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,542

$3,195 €2,857

58.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €2,004

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.81

-16.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ambert: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Ambert

$617 32.9% 53.8% $720

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Ambert

$384 20.5% 17.3% $57

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Ambert

$277 14.7% 3.7% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Ambert

$269 14.3% 16.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Ambert

$196 10.5% 25.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Ambert

$63 3.4% 14% $10

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Ambert

$71 3.8% 44% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $754 in Ambert. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $72 in Ambert for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $384 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇫🇷 Ambert

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

6,700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Ambert 480 km

From you

Barcelona
Ambert

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

Barcelona vs Ambert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,879 in Ambert, so Ambert is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $2,818 in Ambert 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: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $754 in Ambert. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $72 in Ambert. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Ambert gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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