Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cergy

For one person, living is cheaper in Cergy: $1,707 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Cergy, France
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Cergy
🇫🇷 France
$1,707
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Cergy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Cergy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,707 in Cergy.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Cergy $1,707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,601 in Cergy.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Cergy $2,601

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,495 in Cergy.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Cergy $3,495

Living in Barcelona is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cergy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Cergy 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.69
$9.05 €8.07
94.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.2
$50.9 €45.40
32.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.07
$8.88 €7.92
52.36%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.85
$2.75 €2.45
16.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$1.38 €1.23
110.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.67 €1.49
13.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.58
$5.09 €4.54
-21.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$5.70 €5.08
-20.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.26 €1.12
3.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.99 €1.77
1.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$2.76 €2.46
-32.97%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$4.13 €3.68
16.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.93
$21.10 €18.82
-20.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.14
$10.82 €9.66
-15.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.52
$22.98 €20.51
-14.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$3.37 €3.01
-11.57%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.17 €1.93
-6.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.41
$2.24 €2.00
20.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.14 €1.91
30.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.83 €1.63
14.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.98 €1.77
4.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.77 €1.58
-17.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.62 €0.56
51.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.13
$12.59 €11.24
-45.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$8.49 €7.58
-7.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.25
$2.38 €2.13
-40.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$4.10 €3.65
-38.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.80
$2.04 €1.82
53.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.70
$49.28 €43.97
-48.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.67
$2.21 €1.97
35.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$2.16 €1.93
-31.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.78
$23.99 €21.41
39.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.88 €1.67
-4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$35.3K €31.5K
-5.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$37.9K €33.8K
-16.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €161
$207 €185
-13.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.35
$15.15 €13.52
-8.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.06
$21.98 €19.61
53.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.96
$35.28 €31.48
46.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.81
$14.27 €12.73
-22.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €818
$613 €547
49.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
$8,137 €7,260
102.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.7
$87.5 €78.0
-0.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.35
$41.18 €36.74
-6.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.4
$100 €89.4
5.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$103 €91.9
16.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,516
$761 €679
123.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,209
$641 €572
111.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,322
$1,402 €1,250
85.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,840
$1,180 €1,053
74.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,169
$4,236 €3,779
63.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,575
$3,137 €2,799
63.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Cergy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,972
$2,606 €2,325
-15.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.5
-6.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cergy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Cergy
$641 52.7% $714
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Cergy
$357 10.9% $35
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Cergy
$181 32.4% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Cergy
$245 7.3% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Cergy
$149 5.5% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Cergy
$64 13.2% $9.7
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Cergy
$70 45.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $761 in Cergy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cergy pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $51 in Cergy. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $357, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇫🇷 Cergy
🕒 Local time
22:04 10:04 PM
22:04 10:04 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
68,348
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Cergy 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Cergy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cergy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Cergy?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,707 in Cergy, so Cergy is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Cergy?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $761 in Cergy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Cergy?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $613 in Cergy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Cergy?
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.
Is Barcelona or Cergy safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Cergy are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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