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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,078 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,700 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,322 in Bursa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 130% more expensive than in Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Bursa is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$8.46 ₺411

117.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$31.13 ₺1,512

122.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.18 ₺349

95.68%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.39 ₺165

-8.26%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.96 ₺46.67

208.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.37 ₺18.06

427.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.25 ₺109

77.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.03 ₺147

52.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.97 ₺47.22

36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.84 ₺40.72

151.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.29 ₺111

-20.09%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.29 ₺111

125.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$10.25 ₺498

71.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.33 ₺259

78.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$19.13 ₺929

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.77 ₺85.8

79.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.04 ₺98.9

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.04 ₺50.7

150.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.31 ₺63.7

117.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.58 ₺27.94

274.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.42 ₺20.34

402.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.74 ₺36.08

118.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.72 ₺35.05

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$2.03 ₺98.4

253.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.20 ₺592

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.95 ₺94.8

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.16 ₺105

27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.01 ₺49.14

210.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$36.90 ₺1,792

-28.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.06 ₺51.4

203.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.85 ₺41.19

77.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$7.22 ₺350

388.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.28 ₺62.2

36.72%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$43.1K ₺2.1M

-14.93%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-23.66%

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

$187 €161

$80.2 ₺3,893

133.40%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$10.93 ₺531

38.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$13.72 ₺666

174.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$71.3 ₺3,460

-22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$22.82 ₺1,108

-26.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.30 ₺306

85.87%

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

$1,011 €871

$576 ₺28.0K

75.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$11.6K ₺561.1K

47.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$44.10 ₺2,141

107.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$36.20 ₺1,757

13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$83.4 ₺4,050

32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$103 ₺5,004

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$397 ₺19.3K

328.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$317 ₺15.4K

309.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$731 ₺35.5K

254.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$657 ₺31.9K

193.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,343 ₺65.2K

475.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,331 ₺64.6K

304.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,026 ₺49.8K

131.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

42.67

-92.59%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bursa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $397 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 131% 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 $333 vs $236 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,078 including rent). Bursa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $397 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $576 in Bursa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Bursa versus $2,482 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 130% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.