Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bursa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bursa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,076 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,618 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,160 in Bursa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Bursa is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$9.65 ₺445

76.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$30.92 ₺1,425

123.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$7.74 ₺357

78.04%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$2.85 ₺131

-3.16%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.12 ₺51.8

149.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.42 ₺19.47

373.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$2.11 ₺97.2

106.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.23 ₺103

112.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$0.87 ₺40.32

48.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.76 ₺34.86

169.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.95 ₺89.7

2.05%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$1.93 ₺89.2

75.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$9.18 ₺423

104.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$5.59 ₺258

67.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$18.48 ₺852

3.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.49 ₺68.7

81.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.28 ₺105

2.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.32 ₺61.0

60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.62 ₺74.9

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.76 ₺34.94

159.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$0.47 ₺21.44

282.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.82 ₺37.67

76.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.30 ₺13.89

186.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.15 ₺99.1

215.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$10.94 ₺504

-27.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.94 ₺89.4

-28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.05 ₺94.6

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$1.69 ₺77.9

72.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$49.28 ₺2,272

-41.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.89 ₺41.01

401.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.65 ₺29.90

215.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$8.79 ₺405

236.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.15 ₺52.8

58.26%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$41.6K ₺1.9M

-6.75%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$43.5K ₺2.0M

-23.98%

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

$189 €164

$56.4 ₺2,601

235.40%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$9.61 ₺443

137.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$11.71 ₺540

221.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$56.7 ₺2,613

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$37.40 ₺1,724

-44.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$7.57 ₺349

42.93%

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

$728 €631

$366 ₺16.9K

99.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$18.1K ₺832.8K

-18.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$56.2 ₺2,592

57.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$43.80 ₺2,019

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$102 ₺4,717

-0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$79.0 ₺3,644

46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$441 ₺20.3K

255.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$340 ₺15.7K

258.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$817 ₺37.7K

242.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$517 ₺23.8K

282.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$1,331 ₺61.4K

482.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$1,191 ₺54.9K

334.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$1,009 ₺46.5K

132.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

42.62

-92.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bursa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $441 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 132% 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 $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $223 per month, with Bursa 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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bursa differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,076 including rent). Bursa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 132% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $441 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $366 in Bursa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,076 in Bursa versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa 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 Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.