Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chartres Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chartres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,621 in Chartres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,438 in Chartres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $3,256 in Chartres.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 44% more expensive than Chartres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Chartres 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$17.13 €14.61

1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$56.0 €47.78

24.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$10.88 €9.28

27.85%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.15 €2.69

-13.02%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$2.96 €2.53

-8.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.94 €1.66

4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$6.39 €5.45

-29.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$5.80 €4.95

-20.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.13 €0.96

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.75 €1.49

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$2.34 €2.00

-14.96%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$4.05 €3.46

-14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$22.69 €19.35

-17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$13.39 €11.42

-29.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$17.62 €15.03

6.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$3.77 €3.22

-30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.24 €1.91

6.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.38 €2.03

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$3.19 €2.72

-11.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.90 €1.62

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.18 €1.01

58.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.13 €0.96

28.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.69 €0.59

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$11.50 €9.81

-40.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$7.19 €6.13

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.41 €2.06

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$4.31 €3.68

-45.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.73 €1.47

66.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$49.41 €42.15

-41.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$4.53 €3.86

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.83 €1.56

16.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$32.06 €27.34

-9.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$2.06 €1.75

-7.77%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$17.2K €14.6K

120.76%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$25.1K €21.4K

32.62%

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

$186 €158

$197 €168

-5.79%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$21.77 €18.57

1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$29.83 €25.44

22.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$29.10 €24.83

100.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$18.54 €15.81

11.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$14.26 €12.17

-22.16%

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

$705 €601

$573 €489

22.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,508 €7,257

78.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$88.8 €75.7

-2.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$37.29 €31.81

-1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$83.9 €71.6

23.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$98.4 €84.0

17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$781 €666

96.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$493 €421

151.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$927 €791

194.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$803 €685

150.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$4,281 €3,652

67.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$3,025 €2,580

60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.69

-8.13%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Chartres: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $781 in Chartres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Barcelona vs $56 in Chartres. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $356, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chartres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chartres differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,621 including rent). Chartres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,504 in Barcelona and $2,431 in Chartres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $781 in Chartres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $573 in Chartres. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,621 in Chartres versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chartres but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chartres 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 Chartres 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 Chartres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.