Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Melun Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Melun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,729 in Melun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $2,612 in Melun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $3,494 in Melun.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than in Melun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Melun 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$13.35 €11.70

28.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$53.9 €47.25

31.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$13.85 €12.14

1.23%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.27 €2.87

-14.98%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.71 €1.50

62.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.13 €1.86

-3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$7.34 €6.43

-38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$5.85 €5.13

-20.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.49 €1.30

-13.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.81 €1.59

18.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$2.92 €2.56

-33.90%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.08 €3.57

-14.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$22.58 €19.78

-17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$12.91 €11.31

-26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$23.60 €20.67

-19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.59 €3.14

-27.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$2.19 €1.91

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.47 €2.17

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$3.29 €2.88

-13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.91 €1.67

2.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.02 €1.77

-8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.59 €1.39

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.70 €0.61

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$13.82 €12.11

-51.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$8.49 €7.44

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.31 €2.02

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$4.29 €3.76

-45.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.40 €2.10

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$48.66 €42.63

-41.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$4.76 €4.17

-3.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.86 €1.63

14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$31.92 €27.97

-7.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$2.09 €1.83

-13.88%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$37.6K €32.9K

2.31%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$38.1K €33.3K

-12.61%

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

$185 €162

$197 €173

-6.27%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$23.63 €20.70

-4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$29.46 €25.81

24.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$36.45 €31.93

58.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$18.68 €16.37

13.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$10.51 €9.21

3.04%

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

$727 €637

$566 €495

28.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$8,457 €7,409

74.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$88.7 €77.7

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$36.24 €31.75

3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$86.7 €76.0

19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$103 €89.9

15.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$766 €671

103.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$589 €516

107.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$1,196 €1,048

129.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$907 €794

119.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$4,004 €3,508

87.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$3,039 €2,663

71.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$2,550 €2,234

-7.65%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Melun: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $766 in Melun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melun pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $54.0 in Melun. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $383, 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 Melun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Melun differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,729 including rent). Melun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Melun. 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $766 in Melun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $566 in Melun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,729 in Melun versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melun but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Melun 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 Melun 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 Melun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.