Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fort-de-france Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fort-de-france

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,180 in Fort-de-france.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,453 in Fort-de-france.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,726 in Fort-de-france.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 14% more expensive than in Fort-de-france, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Fort-de-france 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$23.69 €20.39

-22.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$103 €88.3

-32.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$15.81 €13.61

-10.63%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.80 €4.13

-34.79%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.72 €3.20

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.95 €3.40

-50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.67 €6.60

-47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.25 €4.52

-9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.75 €1.51

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.96 €1.69

10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.79 €3.26

-55.41%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$6.51 €5.60

-24.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$19.45 €16.74

-8.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$22.91 €19.72

-58.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$20.82 €17.92

-7.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.98 €3.43

-18.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.44 €1.24

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.06 €2.63

-12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$6.62 €5.70

-58.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.99 €1.71

11.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.28 €1.96

-3.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.69 €1.45

-10.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.74 €0.64

24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$12.19 €10.49

-41.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$8.63 €7.43

-5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.84 €1.59

-18.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.85 €2.45

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.69 €1.46

86.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$53.3 €45.86

-49.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$4.48 €3.85

-27.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.11 €1.81

-28.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$43.34 €37.29

-19.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.57 €2.21

-31.91%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$37.0K €31.8K

-0.91%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$34.3K €29.5K

-9.85%

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

$188 €161

$162 €139

15.85%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$11.64 €10.02

32.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$50.3 €43.27

-24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$39.04 €33.60

46.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$18.93 €16.29

-11.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.58 €9.97

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

$1,003 €863

$533 €458

88.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$4,063 €3,496

318.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$114 €98.4

-22.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$28.94 €24.90

41.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$155 €134

-29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$217 €187

-43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,045 €899

60.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$751 €646

77.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,766 €1,519

47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,446 €1,244

34.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,428 €2,090

211.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,783 €2,395

92.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,343 €2,016

2.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.45

117.93%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fort-de-france: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,045 in Fort-de-france. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 3% 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 $103 in Fort-de-france for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $446 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 Fort-de-france: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fort-de-france differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,180 including rent). Fort-de-france is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,045 in Fort-de-france. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $533 in Fort-de-france. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,180 in Fort-de-france versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fort-de-france but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fort-de-france 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 Fort-de-france 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 Fort-de-france gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.