Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brest Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,498 in Brest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,297 in Brest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,095 in Brest.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 65% more expensive than in Brest, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Brest 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$16.03 €13.98

16.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$46.69 €40.70

48.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$11.65 €10.15

18.20%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.17 €2.76

-2.21%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.80 €2.44

1.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.11 €1.84

-10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$6.78 €5.91

-41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.75 €4.14

-4.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.15 €1.00

10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.66 €1.45

30.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.54 €2.21

-30.71%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.77 €3.29

36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$18.68 €16.28

-4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$11.44 €9.97

-15.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.67 €12.79

37.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.95 €2.57

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.05 €1.78

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$4.05 €3.53

-35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.20 €2.79

-13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.75 €1.53

26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.07 €1.80

2.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.44 €1.25

7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.45 €0.39

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$13.80 €12.03

-46.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.77 €5.90

18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.59 €3.13

-57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.01 €2.62

-7.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.00 €1.74

55.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$41.60 €36.27

-37.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$8.40 €7.32

-61.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.19 €1.90

-32.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$31.96 €27.86

7.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.06 €1.79

-16.02%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$37.4K €32.6K

-2.76%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$35.2K €30.7K

-13.28%

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

$187 €163

$164 €143

14.35%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$28.83 €25.13

-47.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$28.68 €25.00

31.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$36.87 €32.14

51.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$24.23 €21.12

-29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.92 €12.14

-18.03%

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

$997 €869

$230 €200

334.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$11.9K €10.4K

38.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$58.2 €50.7

59.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$44.33 €38.64

-7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$72.3 €63.0

53.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$94.0 €81.9

33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$535 €466

219.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$403 €351

219.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$896 €781

186.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$763 €665

154.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,833 €2,469

169.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,585 €2,253

99.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,722 €2,373

-13.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.82

-17.28%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Brest: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $535 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 16% 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 $47.00 in Brest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $328 per month, with Brest 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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Brest differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,498 including rent). Brest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Brest. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $535 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $230 in Brest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,498 in Brest versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Brest 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 Brest 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 Brest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.