Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nancy Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nancy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,786 in Nancy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,820 in Nancy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,853 in Nancy.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 39% more expensive than in Nancy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Nancy 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$16.59 €14.30

11.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$70.3 €60.6

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$13.73 €11.83

2.33%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.47 €3.86

-30.43%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.28 €2.83

-9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.15 €1.85

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$8.36 €7.20

-52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.93 €5.11

-22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.09 €0.94

21.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.39 €1.20

51.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.83 €1.58

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.51 €3.03

47.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$15.09 €13.00

16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$17.30 €14.92

-45.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$23.57 €20.32

-15.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.57 €2.22

23.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.57 €2.21

-14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.29 €1.98

13.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.87 €3.34

-26.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.36 €1.17

59.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.30 €1.98

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.41 €1.21

14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.72 €0.62

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$14.16 €12.21

-49.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$8.48 €7.31

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.29 €1.98

-34.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.67 €4.03

-41.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.70 €1.46

84.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$55.5 €47.87

-52.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.50 €3.02

-8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.15 €1.85

-29.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$28.38 €24.47

24.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.19 €1.89

-20.09%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$36.2K €31.2K

1.37%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$35.7K €30.7K

-11.20%

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

$187 €161

$285 €246

-34.34%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$13.53 €11.66

11.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$29.48 €25.41

27.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$28.52 €24.58

94.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$18.85 €16.24

-11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$13.94 €12.01

-16.00%

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

$1,011 €871

$576 €497

75.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$16.6K €14.3K

2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$96.9 €83.5

-5.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$42.67 €36.78

-3.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$108 €93.4

2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$148 €127

-14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$730 €629

133.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$479 €413

171.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,311 €1,130

97.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,019 €878

89.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,696 €2,324

186.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,370 €2,043

127.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$2,323 €2,003

2.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.76

-15.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nancy: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $730 in Nancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2% 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 $70.0 in Nancy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $366 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 Nancy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nancy differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,786 including rent). Nancy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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 $730 in Nancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $576 in Nancy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,786 in Nancy versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nancy but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nancy 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 Nancy 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 Nancy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.