Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bethune Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bethune

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,850 in Bethune.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,831 in Bethune.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,811 in Bethune.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bethune 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$18.96 €16.35

-2.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$75.5 €65.1

-8.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$13.97 €12.04

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.41 €2.94

-8.80%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.88 €2.48

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.80 €1.55

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$7.03 €6.06

-43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$5.96 €5.14

-22.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.38 €1.19

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.94 €1.67

8.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.95 €2.55

-37.97%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$4.35 €3.75

18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$22.74 €19.61

-22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$13.40 €11.56

-29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$23.65 €20.39

-15.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.07 €2.64

3.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.28 €1.96

-3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.44 €2.11

6.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.27 €2.82

-12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.91 €1.65

13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.06 €1.77

2.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.52 €1.31

6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.56 €0.49

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$14.59 €12.58

-50.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$8.34 €7.19

-0.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.82 €1.57

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.69 €2.32

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$1.91 €1.64

64.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

$52.5 €45.25

-49.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.39 €2.06

34.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.27 €1.96

-33.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$24.69 €21.29

42.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.12 €1.82

-17.45%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$36.3K €31.3K

1.01%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$36.6K €31.6K

-13.54%

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

$187 €161

$186 €161

0.43%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$15.90 €13.71

-5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$31.89 €27.50

17.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$37.45 €32.29

48.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$17.16 €14.79

-2.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$10.27 €8.85

14.02%

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

$1,011 €872

$639 €551

58.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$8,556 €7,378

99.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$91.6 €79.0

-0.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$40.06 €34.54

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$78.1 €67.4

41.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$101 €86.8

25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$790 €681

115.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$633 €546

105.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$1,442 €1,244

79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,152 €993

67.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$4,123 €3,555

87.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$3,171 €2,735

69.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

$3,806 €3,281

-37.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.92

-19.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bethune: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $790 in Bethune. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethune pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $76.0 in Bethune for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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 Bethune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bethune differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,850 including rent). Bethune is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Bethune. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $790 in Bethune. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $639 in Bethune. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,850 in Bethune versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bethune but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bethune 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 Bethune 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 Bethune 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.