Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rueil-Malmaison Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rueil-Malmaison

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,105 in Rueil-Malmaison.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,947 in Rueil-Malmaison.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,789 in Rueil-Malmaison.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 11% more expensive than Rueil-Malmaison, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Rueil-Malmaison 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$19.45 €16.65

-9.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$46.57 €39.86

47.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$11.62 €9.95

18.33%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.35 €2.87

-17.61%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.75 €2.35

1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.83 €1.56

12.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$6.73 €5.76

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.95 €5.09

-22.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.25 €1.07

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.80 €1.54

17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.58 €2.21

-23.64%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.98 €3.41

-13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$18.81 €16.10

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$13.39 €11.46

-29.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$21.29 €18.22

-10.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.04 €2.60

-10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.26 €1.94

4.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.70 €2.31

-22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.56 €3.05

-22.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.25 €1.93

-12.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.51 €2.15

-28.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.55 €1.33

-2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.68 €0.58

32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$13.37 €11.44

-49.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.51 €6.43

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.67 €2.28

-46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.49 €2.99

-30.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.94 €1.66

56.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$49.12 €42.05

-42.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$4.58 €3.92

-3.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.70 €1.45

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$36.01 €30.83

-18.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.08 €1.78

-9.13%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$37.2K €31.8K

4.24%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$38.0K €32.5K

-14.81%

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

$189 €161

$194 €166

-2.76%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$23.72 €20.30

-6.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$32.55 €27.86

13.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$37.88 €32.43

53.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$18.68 €15.99

12.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.72 €11.74

-19.46%

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

$726 €622

$773 €662

-6.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,659 €7,412

75.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$103 €88.6

-14.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$38.31 €32.79

-3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$91.1 €78.0

12.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$140 €120

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$1,052 €901

45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$893 €764

36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,393 €1,193

100.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,071 €916

89.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$7,034 €6,021

0.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$3,042 €2,604

59.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$3,394 €2,905

-29.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.63

-6.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rueil-Malmaison: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,052 in Rueil-Malmaison. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rueil-Malmaison pays 41% 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 $47.00 in Rueil-Malmaison. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $363, 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 Rueil-Malmaison: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rueil-Malmaison differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,105 including rent). Rueil-Malmaison is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rueil-Malmaison earns 41% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,052 in Rueil-Malmaison. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $773 in Rueil-Malmaison. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,105 in Rueil-Malmaison versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rueil-Malmaison but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rueil-Malmaison 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 Rueil-Malmaison 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 Rueil-Malmaison gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.