Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Royan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Royan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,904 in Royan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,931 in Royan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,959 in Royan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 24% more expensive than in Royan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Royan 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$17.37 €15.05

-1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$69.5 €60.2

-2.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$11.71 €10.14

16.48%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.78 €3.27

-26.46%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.44 €2.11

15.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.46 €1.27

34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$8.17 €7.08

-45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$5.20 €4.50

-11.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.18 €1.02

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$4.18 €3.62

-49.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.54 €3.06

-43.79%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.53 €3.06

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$23.25 €20.13

-18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$13.80 €11.95

-30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$21.62 €18.72

-13.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.15 €2.73

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.05 €1.78

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.97 €2.57

-29.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.03 €2.63

-9.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.79 €1.55

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.20 €1.91

-17.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.57 €1.36

-3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.56 €0.49

58.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$12.80 €11.09

-47.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.56 €7.41

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.57 €3.09

-61.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.19 €2.77

-24.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.96 €1.69

48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$48.37 €41.89

-40.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$5.63 €4.88

-18.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.65 €2.29

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$36.87 €31.93

-22.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.99 €1.72

-8.54%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$36.8K €31.9K

6.76%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$39.3K €34.1K

-17.41%

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

$187 €162

$188 €163

-0.73%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$23.70 €20.52

-5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$27.44 €23.76

32.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.53 €32.50

53.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$18.18 €15.75

14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$15.84 €13.72

-32.01%

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

$725 €628

$778 €674

-6.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$8,722 €7,553

73.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$125 €108

-29.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$35.67 €30.89

3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$96.7 €83.8

6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$188 €163

-37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$785 €680

94.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$628 €544

95.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,410 €1,221

93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,096 €949

80.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,228 €3,661

76.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$3,338 €2,891

57.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.62

-6.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Royan: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $785 in Royan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Royan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $405 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 Royan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Royan differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,904 including rent). Royan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $2,856 in Royan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $785 in Royan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $778 in Royan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,904 in Royan versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Royan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Royan 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 Royan 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 Royan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.