Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bastia Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bastia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,788 in Bastia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,789 in Bastia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,790 in Bastia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than Bastia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Bastia 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.13 €14.75

2.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$58.2 €50.1

17.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.61 €10.00

21.10%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.39 €2.92

-17.99%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.76 €2.38

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.78 €1.53

15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.98 €6.01

-36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.96 €5.13

-22.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.30 €1.12

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.79 €1.54

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.66 €2.29

-27.82%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.93 €3.38

-15.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$18.96 €16.33

-2.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$13.80 €11.88

-31.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$21.12 €18.18

-9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.10 €2.67

-14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.28 €1.97

7.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.79 €2.40

-24.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.66 €3.15

-22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.17 €1.87

-5.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.59 €2.23

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.50 €1.29

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.68 €0.58

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$13.87 €11.94

-48.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.67 €7.46

-9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.61 €2.25

-47.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.39 €2.92

-31.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.99 €1.71

49.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$49.11 €42.27

-40.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.69 €4.04

-1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.79 €1.54

15.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$36.30 €31.25

-19.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.01 €1.73

-8.46%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.9K €31.8K

5.59%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$36.8K €31.7K

-11.25%

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

$188 €162

$191 €164

-1.50%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$22.96 €19.76

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$32.41 €27.90

13.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$37.40 €32.20

53.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$18.44 €15.87

12.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$14.03 €12.08

-20.24%

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

$721 €621

$778 €670

-7.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,736 €7,521

72.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$102 €87.8

-15.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$39.61 €34.10

-6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$88.7 €76.3

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$138 €118

-15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$786 €677

95.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$605 €520

101.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,379 €1,187

95.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,106 €953

81.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$4,065 €3,499

77.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$3,115 €2,681

66.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$1,601 €1,378

47.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bastia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $786 in Bastia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 47% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Bastia. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $368, 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 Bastia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bastia differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,788 including rent). Bastia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 47% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $786 in Bastia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $778 in Bastia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,788 in Bastia versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bastia but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bastia 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 Bastia 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 Bastia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.