Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Massy Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Massy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,319 in Massy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,556 in Massy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,794 in Massy.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 8% more expensive than in Massy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Massy 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$18.89 €16.26

-2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$74.6 €64.2

-7.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$14.04 €12.08

0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.71 €4.05

-33.55%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.40 €2.93

-11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.30 €1.98

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$8.16 €7.02

-50.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.91 €5.09

-19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.51 €1.30

-17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.44 €2.10

-11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.91 €2.51

-41.92%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.20 €3.62

17.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$22.19 €19.09

-19.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$15.13 €13.02

-36.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$22.30 €19.19

-13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.42 €2.94

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.37 €2.04

12.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.32 €3.72

-35.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.97 €1.70

12.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.05 €1.77

6.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.75 €1.51

-13.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.97 €0.83

-5.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$14.42 €12.41

-50.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$9.11 €7.84

-10.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.54 €2.18

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.84 €3.30

-27.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.85 €2.45

10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$99.1 €85.3

-72.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.34 €2.02

38.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.54 €1.33

-2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$25.04 €21.55

39.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.22 €1.91

-21.17%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.5K €30.6K

3.18%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$35.8K €30.8K

-13.47%

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

$188 €161

$219 €188

-14.16%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$17.62 €15.16

-12.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$32.27 €27.77

17.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$37.69 €32.43

51.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$23.66 €20.36

-28.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$14.69 €12.64

-21.17%

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

$1,003 €863

$828 €713

21.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$5,772 €4,967

194.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$115 €99.3

-22.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$53.2 €45.79

-23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$123 €106

-10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$115 €98.8

6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,209 €1,040

38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$927 €797

43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,691 €1,455

53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,761 €1,515

10.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$6,028 €5,187

25.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$3,444 €2,963

55.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$3,134 €2,697

-23.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.85

-17.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Massy: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,209 in Massy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Massy pays 30% 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 $75.0 in Massy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $406 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 Massy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Massy differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,319 including rent). Massy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Massy. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,209 in Massy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $828 in Massy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,319 in Massy versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Massy but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Massy 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 Massy 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 Massy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.