Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Roubaix Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Roubaix

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,686 in Roubaix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,559 in Roubaix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $3,432 in Roubaix.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Roubaix 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$17.91 €15.28

-2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$69.0 €58.8

1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$13.79 €11.76

0.87%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.80 €3.24

-27.89%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$3.31 €2.83

-18.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.09 €1.78

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$8.31 €7.09

-45.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$5.75 €4.90

-19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.18 €1.01

8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.67 €1.42

25.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$3.08 €2.62

-35.39%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.14 €1.82

61.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$13.25 €11.30

40.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$9.32 €7.95

0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$13.73 €11.71

36.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.02 €0.87

155.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.18 €1.01

102.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.27 €1.94

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.90 €2.47

-3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.79 €0.67

156.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.90 €0.76

107.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.59 €1.35

-8.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.22 €0.19

318.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$12.03 €10.26

-43.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$8.85 €7.55

-12.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.39 €2.04

-42.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$4.24 €3.62

-45.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.98 €1.69

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$48.34 €41.24

-39.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.40 €2.05

84.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.82 €1.56

17.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$40.82 €34.82

-29.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$2.00 €1.70

-5.00%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$28.8K €24.6K

31.43%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$29.3K €25.0K

13.67%

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

$186 €158

$180 €153

3.32%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$22.88 €19.51

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$29.68 €25.31

23.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$37.21 €31.74

56.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$18.31 €15.62

13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$11.57 €9.87

-4.06%

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

$705 €601

$571 €487

23.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,620 €7,353

76.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$89.2 €76.1

-3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$36.43 €31.07

1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$84.2 €71.8

23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$105 €89.3

10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$779 €665

97.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$626 €534

98.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$1,414 €1,206

92.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$1,077 €919

86.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$4,268 €3,641

67.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$3,111 €2,653

55.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$1,879 €1,602

31.71%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Roubaix: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $779 in Roubaix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 32% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $69 in Roubaix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $264 per month, with Roubaix 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 Roubaix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Roubaix differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,686 including rent). Roubaix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 32% more on average, 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $779 in Roubaix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $571 in Roubaix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,686 in Roubaix versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Roubaix but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Roubaix 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 Roubaix 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 Roubaix 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.