Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Orleans Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Orleans

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,647 in Orleans.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,463 in Orleans.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,279 in Orleans.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 44% more expensive than Orleans, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Orleans 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$18.24 €15.71

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$58.0 €49.91

18.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$12.54 €10.80

12.12%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.82 €2.42

-1.42%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.28 €2.82

-14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.54 €1.32

33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.86 €5.04

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.71 €4.92

-19.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.13 €0.97

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.79 €1.54

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.71 €1.47

12.28%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.88 €3.34

-14.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.11 €11.29

40.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$13.25 €11.41

-28.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$17.60 €15.16

8.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.37 €2.04

11.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.20 €1.89

11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.46 €2.12

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.36 €2.03

20.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.17 €1.01

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.14 €0.98

62.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.13 €0.98

30.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.66 €0.56

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$13.63 €11.74

-47.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.59 €5.68

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.29 €1.97

-39.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.50 €3.02

-34.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.12 €1.83

40.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$56.1 €48.26

-47.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$7.07 €6.09

-34.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.81 €1.56

14.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$23.19 €19.97

25.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.06 €1.77

-10.68%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.8K €24.8K

35.37%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$37.1K €31.9K

-11.85%

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

$188 €162

$190 €163

-1.00%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$23.35 €20.11

-1.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$29.16 €25.11

25.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$31.58 €27.20

81.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$7.95 €6.85

160.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$14.40 €12.40

-22.29%

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

$721 €621

$575 €495

25.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$3,667 €3,157

310.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$81.1 €69.8

6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$36.77 €31.67

0.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$83.7 €72.1

21.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$105 €90.5

10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$798 €687

92.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$525 €452

132.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,116 €961

141.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$909 €783

121.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,247 €1,935

221.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,936 €1,667

167.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$3,304 €2,845

-28.59%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Orleans: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $798 in Orleans. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orleans pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Orleans for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $306 per month, with Orleans 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 Orleans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Orleans differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,647 including rent). Orleans is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Orleans earns 40% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $798 in Orleans. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $575 in Orleans. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,647 in Orleans versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Orleans but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Orleans 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 Orleans 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 Orleans gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.