Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Poissy

For one person, living is cheaper in Poissy: $1,796 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Poissy
🇫🇷 France
$1,796
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Poissy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Poissy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,796 in Poissy.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Poissy $1,796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $2,746 in Poissy.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Poissy $2,746

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $3,695 in Poissy.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Poissy $3,695

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than in Poissy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Poissy 33% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$14.76 €13.13
21.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$74.4 €66.2
-11.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$13.72 €12.20
-0.22%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$3.57 €3.18
-14.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$2.44 €2.17
25.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.31 €2.05
-16.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$8.07 €7.18
-52.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$6.57 €5.85
-29.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.37 €1.22
-5.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.46 €2.18
-14.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$2.71 €2.41
-32.47%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$4.45 €3.96
3.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$22.12 €19.68
-21.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$11.85 €10.54
-21.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$21.72 €19.32
-8.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$3.22 €2.86
-6.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.18 €1.94
-6.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.82 €2.51
-6.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$4.24 €3.77
-32.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.88 €1.67
14.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.28 €2.03
-5.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.13 €1.01
30.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.47 €0.42
87.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$14.44 €12.85
-52.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$9.13 €8.12
-14.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$2.28 €2.03
-39.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$3.27 €2.91
-19.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
$2.85 €2.53
2.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$9.22 €8.20
-67.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.47 €1.31
-2.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$45.98 €40.90
-27.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.95 €1.73
-4.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$34.4K €30.6K
-5.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$38.1K €33.9K
-16.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$200 €178
-8.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$13.43 €11.95
1.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$24.93 €22.17
32.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
$22.35 €19.88
-26.09%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$14.71 €13.09
-23.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$751 €668
26.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$7,803 €6,940
112.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$88.2 €78.4
-2.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$45.72 €40.67
-14.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$119 €106
-12.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$161 €143
-26.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$844 €751
100.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$663 €590
92.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$1,496 €1,331
72.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$1,086 €966
76.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
$5,321 €4,733
36.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
$3,488 €3,103
43.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Poissy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$3,175 €2,824
-29.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
3.4
-3.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Poissy: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Poissy
$663 48% $613
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Poissy
$376 15.6% $51
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Poissy
$275 1.9% $5.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Poissy
$239 4.1% $9.4
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Poissy
$186 19.2% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Poissy
$29 * 61.9% $48
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Poissy
$28 * 40.9% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $844 in Poissy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poissy pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Poissy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $376 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇫🇷 Poissy
🕒 Local time
18:56 6:56 PM
18:56 6:56 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
40,016
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Poissy 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Poissy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Poissy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Poissy?
Barcelona and Poissy differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $1,796 including rent). Poissy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Poissy. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Poissy?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $844 in Poissy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Poissy?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $751 in Poissy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Poissy – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,796 in Poissy versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Poissy but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Poissy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Poissy?
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.
Is Barcelona or Poissy safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Poissy are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Poissy?
Expats usually find Poissy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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