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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $826 in Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,345 in Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,864 in Montana.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 186% more expensive than in Montana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Montana is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$10.49 BGN 17.45

63.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$35.73 BGN 59.4

90.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$7.78 BGN 12.94

75.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$1.43 BGN 2.38

94.41%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$1.40 BGN 2.33

101.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.85 BGN 1.42

130.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$1.37 BGN 2.28

223.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$1.09 BGN 1.81

322.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 BGN 2.74

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.94 BGN 1.56

126.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.77 BGN 2.94

12.43%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.74 BGN 4.56

22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$9.17 BGN 15.26

106.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.26 BGN 5.43

192.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$13.08 BGN 21.75

43.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.25 BGN 2.08

112.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.51 BGN 4.18

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.02 BGN 3.35

3.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.09 BGN 3.47

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.83 BGN 1.38

136.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.77 BGN 1.29

135.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.40 BGN 2.33

7.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.51 BGN 0.85

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$3.62 BGN 6.03

87.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$6.28 BGN 10.44

26.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.92 BGN 1.53

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.73 BGN 2.87

38.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.90 BGN 1.50

223.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$35.55 BGN 59.1

-19.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.62 BGN 1.03

638.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.41 BGN 0.67

397.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$10.25 BGN 17.05

180.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.59 BGN 2.64

14.47%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$20.2K BGN 33.7K

94.35%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$24.9K BGN 41.4K

30.58%

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

$187 €163

$102 BGN 169

83.20%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$17.03 BGN 28.33

30.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$8.93 BGN 14.85

307.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$20.94 BGN 34.83

174.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$8.70 BGN 14.48

138.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$5.46 BGN 9.08

97.25%

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

$725 €632

$326 BGN 542

122.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$5,449 BGN 9,065

178.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$53.0 BGN 88.2

65.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$29.12 BGN 48.45

26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$74.6 BGN 124

38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$104 BGN 173

13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$225 BGN 374

576.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$161 BGN 268

662.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$415 BGN 690

557.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$308 BGN 512

544.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$1,326 BGN 2,207

463.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,098 BGN 1,826

377.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,014 BGN 1,687

135.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Montana: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $225 in Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 136% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $826 including rent). Montana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $225 in Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $326 in Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Montana versus $2,359 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 186% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.