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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,041 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,623 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,204 in Bursa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Bursa is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$9.48 ₺426

84.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$30.81 ₺1,385

126.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$7.47 ₺336

86.21%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$2.74 ₺123

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.13 ₺50.7

138.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.43 ₺19.22

372.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.13 ₺95.8

111.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.23 ₺100

106.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.93 ₺41.95

37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$0.78 ₺35.02

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.95 ₺87.9

2.05%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$1.96 ₺88.0

76.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$9.45 ₺425

96.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$5.81 ₺261

61.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$18.94 ₺851

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.48 ₺66.7

76.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.29 ₺103

4.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.29 ₺57.8

69.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.56 ₺70.3

80.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.74 ₺33.37

174.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.46 ₺20.60

306.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.89 ₺39.82

62.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.28 ₺12.40

228.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.22 ₺99.7

207.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$11.04 ₺496

-30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.04 ₺91.6

-32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.00 ₺89.7

16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.69 ₺75.9

70.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$48.58 ₺2,184

-40.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.87 ₺39.15

409.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$0.62 ₺27.66

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$8.93 ₺401

224.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.21 ₺54.5

57.02%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$41.4K ₺1.9M

-8.39%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-23.99%

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

$186 €158

$56.0 ₺2,516

231.64%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$9.80 ₺441

126.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$11.65 ₺524

213.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$56.6 ₺2,543

3.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$37.76 ₺1,697

-45.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$7.85 ₺353

41.40%

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

$705 €601

$375 ₺16.8K

88.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$18.1K ₺812.3K

-15.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$57.1 ₺2,566

51.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$43.62 ₺1,961

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$99.9 ₺4,489

4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$81.8 ₺3,676

41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$437 ₺19.6K

252.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$346 ₺15.5K

259.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$802 ₺36.0K

240.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$515 ₺23.1K

290.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,341 ₺60.3K

433.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,224 ₺55.0K

295.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$1,054 ₺47.4K

134.65%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Bursa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $437 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 135% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $31 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $227 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,041 including rent). Bursa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 135% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $437 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $375 in Bursa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Bursa versus $2,336 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.