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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,869 in Bastia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,938 in Bastia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,008 in Bastia.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bastia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Bastia 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$17.69 €15.21

3.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$70.6 €60.7

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$14.15 €12.16

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.83 €3.29

-18.28%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.03 €2.60

-0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.80 €1.55

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$8.49 €7.30

-52.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$5.97 €5.14

-20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.33 €1.14

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.98 €1.70

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.49 €2.14

-32.13%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.20 €3.61

17.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$20.37 €17.51

-12.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$13.16 €11.32

-26.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$22.80 €19.60

-15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.96 €2.55

9.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.26 €1.94

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.82 €2.43

-5.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.43 €2.95

-19.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.24 €1.93

-1.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.67 €2.30

-17.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.61 €1.38

-5.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.77 €0.67

19.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$12.64 €10.86

-43.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.68 €7.46

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.80 €2.41

-46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.25 €2.79

-14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.95 €1.68

61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$50.4 €43.33

-46.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$4.33 €3.72

-24.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.27 €1.95

-33.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$29.30 €25.19

19.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.11 €1.82

-17.06%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$40.9K €35.2K

-10.45%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$33.8K €29.1K

-8.50%

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

$188 €161

$219 €189

-14.51%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$16.88 €14.51

-8.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$33.09 €28.45

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$34.49 €29.65

65.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$14.32 €12.31

-19.13%

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

$1,003 €862

$926 €796

8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$9,192 €7,902

85.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$98.0 €84.3

-9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$48.67 €41.84

-16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$107 €92.4

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$142 €122

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$794 €682

110.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$636 €547

109.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,437 €1,236

80.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,169 €1,005

66.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,363 €3,751

73.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,725 €2,343

97.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,597 €1,373

50.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-21.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bastia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $794 in Bastia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 50% 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 $71.0 in Bastia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $378 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

Barcelona vs Bastia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bastia differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,869 including rent). Bastia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $794 in Bastia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $926 in Bastia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,869 in Bastia versus $2,495 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 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.