Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Reims Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Reims

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,922 in Reims.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,838 in Reims.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,754 in Reims.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Reims, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Reims 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$20.69 €17.79

-11.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$69.9 €60.1

-1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$13.77 €11.83

2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.46 €2.97

-9.54%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.74 €3.21

-19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.09 €2.66

-36.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.37 €6.34

-45.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$8.32 €7.16

-42.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.39 €1.20

-10.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.15 €0.99

87.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.25 €1.93

-24.89%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.68 €3.16

33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$35.03 €30.11

-48.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$9.42 €8.10

2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$14.79 €12.72

30.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.08 €2.65

5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.37 €2.04

-8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.45 €2.11

8.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$4.78 €4.11

-42.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.96 €1.69

12.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.50 €1.29

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.27 €1.09

19.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.21 €1.04

-23.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$14.20 €12.21

-49.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$9.20 €7.91

-11.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.30 €1.97

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.25 €1.94

23.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.38 €2.05

32.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$45.78 €39.36

-41.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$9.47 €8.14

-65.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.25 €1.07

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$35.45 €30.48

-1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.04 €1.75

-14.22%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.1K €30.2K

4.40%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$37.7K €32.4K

-17.84%

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

$188 €161

$212 €182

-11.32%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$29.41 €25.28

-47.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$41.01 €35.26

-7.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$37.10 €31.89

54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$11.46 €9.86

46.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$12.50 €10.74

-7.36%

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

$1,003 €862

$697 €599

43.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$10.3K €8,822

65.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$91.1 €78.3

-2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$41.21 €35.43

-0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$91.6 €78.7

20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$110 €95.0

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$700 €602

139.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$615 €528

116.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,269 €1,091

104.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$915 €786

113.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$5,560 €4,780

36.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$3,905 €3,357

37.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,669 €1,435

43.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.67

-13.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Reims: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $700 in Reims. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 44% 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 Reims for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $372 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 Reims: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Reims differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,922 including rent). Reims is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $700 in Reims. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $697 in Reims. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,922 in Reims versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Reims but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Reims 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 Reims 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 Reims gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.