Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,594 in Ferney-Voltaire, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Ferney-Voltaire despite lower rent and utilities.

Barcelona, Spain
Ferney-Voltaire, France
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Ferney-Voltaire
🇫🇷 France
$2,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ferney-Voltaire

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 Ferney-Voltaire actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,594 in Ferney-Voltaire.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Ferney-Voltaire $2,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $4,123 in Ferney-Voltaire.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Ferney-Voltaire $4,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $5,653 in Ferney-Voltaire.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Ferney-Voltaire $5,653

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 6% less than in Ferney-Voltaire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Ferney-Voltaire 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.71
$19.87 €17.68
-11.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.0
$78.6 €70.0
-14.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.12
$18.73 €16.66
-27.34%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.76
$4.55 €4.05
-31.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$3.30 €2.94
-9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.83 €1.63
5.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.42
$7.15 €6.36
-46.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
$5.68 €5.05
-23.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.98 €1.76
-36.87%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.93 €1.72
9.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.54 €2.26
-22.44%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.24
$3.44 €3.06
38.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.19
$19.73 €17.55
-13.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.97
$12.21 €10.87
-26.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.38
$21.49 €19.13
-3.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.09 €2.75
2.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.29 €2.04
-13.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$3.26 €2.90
-18.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$3.43 €3.05
-16.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.02 €1.80
1.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.19 €1.94
-0.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.15 €1.02
33.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.80 €0.71
21.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.20
$14.78 €13.15
-52.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.02
$5.43 €4.84
45.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.75 €1.56
-18.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.28 €2.03
17.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$3.43 €3.05
-3.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.79
$48.11 €42.81
-46.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$8.92 €7.93
-65.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.43 €2.16
-39.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.25
$35.36 €31.46
-7.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.22 €1.98
-15.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$34.2K €30.4K
-3.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$35.5K €31.6K
-10.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$201 €179
-8.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.67
$9.89 €8.80
43.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.76
$43.64 €38.83
-20.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.76
$99.4 €88.4
-48.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.58
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.85
$11.06 €9.85
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €840
$2,509 €2,233
-62.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$44.0K €39.2K
-49.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.0
$44.65 €39.74
96.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.51
$41.18 €36.64
-5.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.0
$95.4 €84.9
9.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$111 €98.4
6.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,510
$1,551 €1,380
9.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,190
$1,311 €1,166
1.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,396
$2,514 €2,237
7.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,848
$2,767 €2,462
-24.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,367
$5,610 €4,992
27.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,520
$5,250 €4,672
-3.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Ferney-Voltaire
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,995
$3,990 €3,550
-43.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
3.65
-12.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ferney-Voltaire: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Ferney-Voltaire
$1.3K 1.9% $26
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Ferney-Voltaire
$356 8.6% $28
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Ferney-Voltaire
$337 26.4% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Ferney-Voltaire
$254 9.8% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Ferney-Voltaire
$131 16.3% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Ferney-Voltaire
$122 65.2% $48
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Ferney-Voltaire
$83 68% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,551 in Ferney-Voltaire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ferney-Voltaire pays 78% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $79 in Ferney-Voltaire for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $356 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇫🇷 Ferney-Voltaire
🕒 Local time
11:08 11:08 AM
11:08 11:08 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
10,920
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Ferney-Voltaire 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Ferney-Voltaire

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 Ferney-Voltaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Ferney-Voltaire?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,594 in Ferney-Voltaire, so Barcelona is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 44% 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 Ferney-Voltaire?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,551 in Ferney-Voltaire. 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 Ferney-Voltaire?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $2,509 in Ferney-Voltaire. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ferney-Voltaire. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Ferney-Voltaire?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire?
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 Ferney-Voltaire safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire?
It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Ferney-Voltaire on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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