Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bourges Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bourges

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,039 in Bourges.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,074 in Bourges.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,109 in Bourges.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than Bourges, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Bourges 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$17.27 €14.70

2.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$73.7 €62.8

-7.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$12.50 €10.64

11.68%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.86 €3.28

-28.50%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.91 €2.48

-5.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.77 €1.51

11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$8.28 €7.04

-45.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.96 €5.92

-34.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.47 €1.25

-15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.55 €2.17

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.68 €2.28

-28.73%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$4.17 €3.55

-18.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$24.15 €20.55

-24.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$15.86 €13.50

-40.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$25.31 €21.54

-25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$2.72 €2.31

-3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.57 €2.18

-6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$3.49 €2.97

-39.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.89 €3.31

-30.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.76 €2.35

-25.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.79 €2.38

-36.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.48 €1.26

-0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.87 €0.74

4.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$13.72 €11.67

-48.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$8.38 €7.13

-9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$3.16 €2.69

-54.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.13 €2.67

-25.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$1.93 €1.64

52.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$49.60 €42.21

-40.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.89 €5.02

-23.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.91 €1.63

12.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$57.4 €48.80

-49.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$2.10 €1.79

-10.00%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$37.7K €32.1K

3.45%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$37.9K €32.3K

-14.52%

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

$189 €161

$284 €242

-33.51%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$22.27 €18.95

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$37.15 €31.61

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$38.25 €32.55

51.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$18.44 €15.69

15.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$14.10 €12.00

-21.91%

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

$731 €622

$291 €247

151.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$11.9K €10.1K

24.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$110 €93.7

-18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$49.93 €42.49

-25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$123 €104

-14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$163 €139

-28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$770 €655

101.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$606 €516

100.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,225 €1,042

128.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,105 €940

81.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,047 €891

379.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,993 €2,547

-17.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.76

-9.84%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bourges: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $770 in Bourges. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $74 in Bourges for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $427 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 Bourges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bourges differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,039 including rent). Bourges is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bourges earns 22% less. 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $770 in Bourges. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $291 in Bourges. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,039 in Bourges versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bourges but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bourges 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 Bourges 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 Bourges gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.