Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,150 in Ferney-Voltaire.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,608 in Ferney-Voltaire.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $5,065 in Ferney-Voltaire.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 9% more expensive than Ferney-Voltaire, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Ferney-Voltaire 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$23.55 €20.16

-25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$69.1 €59.1

-0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$11.75 €10.06

17.02%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.76 €3.22

-26.60%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.96 €2.53

-6.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.24 €1.92

-8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$8.01 €6.86

-42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$6.77 €5.79

-32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.23 €1.06

4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.73 €1.48

21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.59 €2.22

-23.94%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$4.13 €3.53

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$19.35 €16.56

-2.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$12.54 €10.73

-24.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$20.67 €17.70

-8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.81 €2.41

-3.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.23 €1.91

6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.75 €2.35

-24.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.59 €3.08

-23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.01 €1.72

-1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.61 €2.23

-31.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.48 €1.27

2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.71 €0.60

26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$13.50 €11.56

-49.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.33 €5.42

19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.89 €1.62

-23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.36 €2.88

-28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$3.39 €2.90

-10.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$49.95 €42.76

-43.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$4.77 €4.08

-7.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.87 €1.60

9.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$35.82 €30.67

-18.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.06 €1.76

-8.25%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$36.9K €31.6K

4.86%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$37.3K €31.9K

-13.15%

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

$189 €161

$196 €168

-3.75%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$22.99 €19.68

-3.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$63.0 €53.9

-41.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$37.31 €31.94

55.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$18.55 €15.88

13.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.71 €11.73

-19.40%

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

$726 €622

$785 €672

-7.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,553 €7,321

78.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$57.1 €48.86

54.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$39.55 €33.86

-6.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$92.8 €79.4

10.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$139 €119

-14.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$758 €649

101.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$905 €775

34.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$2,485 €2,127

12.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$2,321 €1,986

-12.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$4,189 €3,586

69.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,964 €2,537

63.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$4,083 €3,495

-41.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ferney-Voltaire: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $758 in Ferney-Voltaire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ferney-Voltaire pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Ferney-Voltaire for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $350 per month, with Barcelona 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 Ferney-Voltaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ferney-Voltaire differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,150 including rent). Ferney-Voltaire is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ferney-Voltaire earns 70% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $758 in Ferney-Voltaire. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $785 in Ferney-Voltaire. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,150 in Ferney-Voltaire versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ferney-Voltaire but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ferney-Voltaire 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 Ferney-Voltaire 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 Ferney-Voltaire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.