Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rouen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rouen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,765 in Rouen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,717 in Rouen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,670 in Rouen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 41% more expensive than in Rouen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Rouen 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$17.35 €14.93

5.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$69.6 €59.9

-0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$11.51 €9.91

22.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.59 €3.09

-12.81%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.78 €3.25

-20.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.35 €2.88

-41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.51 €6.47

-46.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$6.78 €5.84

-29.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.58 €1.36

-20.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.16 €1.00

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.33 €2.00

-27.47%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.78 €3.25

30.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$19.27 €16.58

-7.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$9.34 €8.04

2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$27.50 €23.66

-29.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.52 €2.17

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.97 €2.56

-26.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.55 €2.20

4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.17 €2.73

-12.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.08 €1.79

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.50 €1.29

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.26 €1.08

20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.46 €0.39

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$14.98 €12.89

-52.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$7.05 €6.07

15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.80 €2.41

-46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.34 €2.88

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.12 €1.82

48.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$50.2 €43.21

-46.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$9.53 €8.20

-65.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.30 €1.12

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$34.19 €29.42

2.05%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

1.20%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$38.1K €32.7K

-18.69%

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

$188 €161

$216 €186

-13.03%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$24.15 €20.79

-36.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$41.51 €35.72

-8.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$43.71 €37.62

30.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$17.33 €14.91

-3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$15.18 €13.06

-23.72%

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

$1,003 €863

$935 €804

7.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$10.3K €8,839

65.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$89.6 €77.1

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$100 €86.2

9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$108 €92.8

13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$714 €615

134.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$579 €498

129.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,291 €1,111

101.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$954 €821

104.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,941 €3,391

92.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,389 €2,056

124.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,720 €2,341

-11.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.81

-17.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rouen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $714 in Rouen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rouen pays 13% 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 $70.0 in Rouen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $350 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 Rouen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rouen differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,765 including rent). Rouen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Rouen. 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 $714 in Rouen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $935 in Rouen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,765 in Rouen versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rouen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rouen 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 Rouen 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 Rouen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.