Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Montana Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Montana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $862 in Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,399 in Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,937 in Montana.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 188% more expensive than in Montana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Montana is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$9.45 BGN 15.73

94.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$36.89 BGN 61.4

88.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.86 BGN 16.40

42.49%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.44 BGN 2.40

115.97%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.46 BGN 2.43

102.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.10 BGN 1.84

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.40 BGN 2.32

185.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$1.08 BGN 1.80

327.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.70 BGN 2.82

-22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.08 BGN 1.80

95.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.16 BGN 3.59

-15.28%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.77 BGN 4.60

86.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$9.91 BGN 16.49

77.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.34 BGN 5.56

184.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$12.87 BGN 21.41

54.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.30 BGN 2.17

143.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.93 BGN 3.21

14.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.84 BGN 3.05

41.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.65 BGN 4.40

7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.72 BGN 1.20

201.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.97 BGN 1.61

117.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.95 BGN 1.58

70.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.52 BGN 0.86

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.83 BGN 6.38

87.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.47 BGN 10.77

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.91 BGN 1.51

64.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.22 BGN 2.04

125.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.85 BGN 1.41

269.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$24.69 BGN 41.08

6.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.62 BGN 1.04

419.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.46 BGN 0.77

228.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$10.89 BGN 18.12

223.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 BGN 2.61

11.46%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$19.9K BGN 33.0K

84.67%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$24.7K BGN 41.1K

28.04%

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

$187 €161

$105 BGN 174

78.75%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$19.18 BGN 31.91

-21.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$8.86 BGN 14.74

324.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$31.81 BGN 52.9

74.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$17.58 BGN 29.25

-4.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$5.61 BGN 9.33

108.73%

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

$1,011 €871

$537 BGN 893

88.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,681 BGN 9,452

200.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$71.8 BGN 119

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$44.05 BGN 73.3

-6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$98.8 BGN 164

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$108 BGN 180

16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$225 BGN 375

656.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$166 BGN 277

681.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$409 BGN 681

532.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$307 BGN 511

528.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,368 BGN 2,276

465.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,112 BGN 1,849

384.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,026 BGN 1,706

131.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.1

1.94%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Montana: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $225 in Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 131% 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 $37.00 in Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $205 per month, with Montana 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 Montana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Montana differ by about 188% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $862 including rent). Montana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $225 in Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $537 in Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $862 in Montana versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Montana but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.