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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,705 in Roubaix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,685 in Roubaix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,664 in Roubaix.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 46% more expensive than in Roubaix, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Roubaix 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$18.82 €16.19

-2.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$75.8 €65.2

-8.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$14.16 €12.19

-0.21%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.86 €3.32

-18.91%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.35 €2.89

-9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.78 €1.53

10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.93 €6.82

-49.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.98 €5.14

-20.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.13 €0.98

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.64 €1.41

31.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.97 €2.56

-43.10%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.14 €1.85

130.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$13.40 €11.53

33.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$9.08 €7.81

5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$14.00 €12.05

38.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.04 €0.89

211.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.17 €1.01

86.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.25 €1.94

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.97 €2.56

-6.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.74 €0.64

198.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.95 €0.82

130.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.69 €1.45

-10.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.22 €0.19

318.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$12.38 €10.65

-42.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$8.76 €7.54

-7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.51 €2.16

-40.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$4.46 €3.84

-37.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.00 €1.72

57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$44.91 €38.64

-39.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.35 €2.02

38.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.16 €1.86

-30.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$24.82 €21.35

40.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.15 €1.85

-18.60%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$29.2K €25.1K

25.54%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$29.5K €25.4K

4.89%

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

$188 €161

$181 €156

3.82%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$16.11 €13.86

-4.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$31.72 €27.30

19.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$37.87 €32.59

50.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.48 €9.88

0.87%

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

$1,003 €863

$648 €557

54.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$8,710 €7,495

95.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$88.8 €76.4

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$42.69 €36.74

-4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$107 €91.8

3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$108 €93.0

13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$699 €602

139.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$627 €540

112.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,458 €1,255

78.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,164 €1,002

67.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$4,127 €3,551

83.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$3,120 €2,684

72.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,835 €1,579

30.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.92

-19.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Roubaix: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $699 in Roubaix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 31% 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 $76.0 in Roubaix. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $264, with Roubaix 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 Roubaix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Roubaix differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,705 including rent). Roubaix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $699 in Roubaix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $648 in Roubaix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,705 in Roubaix versus $2,495 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 46% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.