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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $846 in Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,336 in Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,827 in Montana.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 177% more expensive than Montana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Montana is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$10.59 BGN 17.68

66.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$35.43 BGN 59.2

93.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.86 BGN 13.12

74.94%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.48 BGN 2.46

86.49%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.38 BGN 2.30

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.89 BGN 1.49

130.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.40 BGN 2.34

229.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.04 BGN 1.73

341.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.66 BGN 2.77

-22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.00 BGN 1.66

111.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.77 BGN 2.96

11.30%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.75 BGN 4.59

25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.57 BGN 15.97

96.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.25 BGN 5.42

190.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.22 BGN 22.07

43.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.22 BGN 2.03

122.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.58 BGN 4.31

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.02 BGN 3.37

2.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.09 BGN 3.49

32.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.82 BGN 1.37

140.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.79 BGN 1.31

126.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.41 BGN 2.36

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.54 BGN 0.91

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.59 BGN 5.99

88.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.98 BGN 11.66

8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.97 BGN 1.61

48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.70 BGN 2.84

41.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.90 BGN 1.50

236.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$34.75 BGN 58.0

-18.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.63 BGN 1.05

603.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.41 BGN 0.68

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$10.64 BGN 17.77

175.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.56 BGN 2.60

21.15%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$19.8K BGN 33.1K

95.35%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$25.1K BGN 42.0K

28.75%

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

$189 €161

$102 BGN 170

85.69%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$17.59 BGN 29.38

26.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$8.78 BGN 14.67

319.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$20.45 BGN 34.16

183.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$8.88 BGN 14.83

136.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.44 BGN 9.09

103.13%

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

$726 €622

$319 BGN 533

127.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$5,508 BGN 9,198

176.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$53.3 BGN 89.1

65.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$29.48 BGN 49.22

25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$72.5 BGN 121

41.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$107 BGN 179

11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$226 BGN 377

576.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$165 BGN 276

636.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$417 BGN 696

570.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$313 BGN 523

547.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,381 BGN 2,306

413.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,088 BGN 1,817

345.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,026 BGN 1,713

134.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.2

5.94%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Montana: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $226 in Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 134% 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 $35.00 in Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $208 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 177% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $846 including rent). Montana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 134% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $226 in Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $319 in Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Montana versus $2,341 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 177% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.