Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rennes Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rennes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,803 in Rennes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,751 in Rennes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,699 in Rennes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 38% more expensive than in Rennes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Rennes 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$15.39 €13.25

19.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$58.2 €50.1

18.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$14.02 €12.06

0.78%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.80 €3.27

-17.63%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.79 €2.40

8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.15 €1.85

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.98 €6.86

-49.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.93 €5.10

-19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.26 €1.08

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.15 €1.85

0.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.55 €3.05

-52.39%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.69 €3.18

33.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$17.79 €15.31

0.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$13.95 €12.00

-31.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$24.67 €21.23

-21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.42 €2.94

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.99 €1.71

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.69 €2.32

-0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.33 €2.86

-16.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.40 €2.06

-7.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$3.47 €2.99

-36.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.62 €1.39

-6.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.86 €0.74

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$14.22 €12.23

-49.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$7.02 €6.04

15.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.52 €3.03

-57.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.66 €3.15

-24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.97 €1.69

59.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$58.2 €50.1

-53.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.98 €2.57

-49.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.26 €1.95

-22.57%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.9K €30.9K

2.16%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$36.7K €31.6K

-15.71%

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

$188 €161

$163 €140

14.96%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$13.59 €11.70

13.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$32.51 €27.98

16.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$43.37 €37.32

31.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$12.80 €11.02

31.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$14.11 €12.14

-17.93%

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

$1,003 €863

$1,862 €1,602

-46.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$11.4K €9,784

49.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$108 €92.6

-17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$46.24 €39.79

-11.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$115 €98.6

-4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$76.1 €65.5

61.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$797 €686

109.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$612 €526

117.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,419 €1,221

82.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,060 €912

83.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$6,665 €5,735

13.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$3,270 €2,814

64.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,945 €2,534

-18.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.91

-19.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rennes: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $797 in Rennes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rennes pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Rennes. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $387, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rennes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rennes differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,803 including rent). Rennes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Rennes. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $797 in Rennes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $1,862 in Rennes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,803 in Rennes versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rennes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rennes 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 Rennes 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 Rennes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.