Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Arue

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,012 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Arue

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 Arue actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Arue.

Barcelona $2,381
Arue $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $1,498 in Arue.

Barcelona $3,406
Arue $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $1,984 in Arue.

Barcelona $4,431
Arue $1,984

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than in Arue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Arue is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$3.07 €2.73

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.34 CFPF 142

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$4.54 CFPF 481

-53.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$3.75 CFPF 397

-51.20%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$11.43 CFPF 1,209

-59.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$55.4 CFPF 5,859

-68.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$26.05 CFPF 2,756

-64.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$22.92 CFPF 2,425

-13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$5.29 CFPF 560

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.89 CFPF 305

-29.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$7.36 CFPF 779

-63.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$8.54 CFPF 904

-66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$4.09 CFPF 433

-47.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.83 CFPF 300

-24.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$3.81 CFPF 403

-61.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.37 CFPF 145

-35.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$11.86 CFPF 1,255

-41.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$27.67 CFPF 2,927

-71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.73 CFPF 289

-49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$7.40 CFPF 782

-64.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

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

$183 €163

$156 CFPF 16.5K

17.03%

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

$13.61 €12.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$122 CFPF 12.9K

-73.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Arue: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Arue

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Arue

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Arue

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Arue

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Arue

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Arue

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Arue

–

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇵🇫 Arue

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

03:19 3:19 AM

12 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

10,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Arue 16,230 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Arue

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 Arue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 135% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,571 in Barcelona and $1,518 in Arue 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.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 126% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Arue – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Arue versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Arue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Arue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Arue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Arue 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 Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.