Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ambert Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ambert

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,811 in Ambert.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,742 in Ambert.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,674 in Ambert.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than Ambert, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Ambert 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$14.97 €12.82

17.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$45.58 €39.02

50.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.18 €7.00

68.09%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.71 €3.17

-25.61%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.65 €2.27

4.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.89 €1.62

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$5.76 €4.93

-19.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$4.73 €4.05

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.02 €0.87

25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.98 €2.55

-29.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.65 €2.27

-25.66%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.53 €3.02

-2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$18.74 €16.04

0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$15.23 €13.03

-37.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$26.02 €22.27

-26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.17 €2.71

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.23 €1.91

6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.60 €2.22

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.17 €2.71

-12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.41 €2.06

-18.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.72 €2.33

-34.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.57 €1.35

-3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.56 €0.48

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$13.73 €11.76

-50.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.19 €7.01

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$3.07 €2.63

-53.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.82 €3.27

-36.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.99 €1.71

52.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$48.46 €41.48

-41.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$5.25 €4.50

-15.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.53 €1.31

33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$34.09 €29.18

-13.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.10 €1.79

-10.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$37.1K €31.8K

4.39%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$39.1K €33.4K

-17.17%

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

$189 €161

$196 €168

-3.94%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$28.17 €24.12

-21.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$31.80 €27.22

15.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$37.80 €32.36

53.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$18.58 €15.90

12.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$8.89 €7.61

24.30%

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

$726 €622

$769 €659

-5.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,089 €6,924

88.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$101 €86.3

-12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$44.23 €37.86

-16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$107 €91.7

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$180 €154

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$767 €656

99.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$626 €536

94.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,370 €1,172

104.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,064 €911

90.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,926 €3,361

80.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,574 €2,204

88.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,895 €1,622

26.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.64

-6.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ambert: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $767 in Ambert. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 27% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $46.00 in Ambert. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $396, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Barcelona and Ambert differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,811 including rent). Ambert is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 27% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $767 in Ambert. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambert – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,811 in Ambert versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ambert but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ambert 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, Barcelona and Ambert 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 Ambert gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.