Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ruesselsheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ruesselsheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,022 in Ruesselsheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,117 in Ruesselsheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,211 in Ruesselsheim.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than Ruesselsheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ruesselsheim 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$11.45 €9.92

49.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$93.6 €81.1

-26.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$12.54 €10.87

9.89%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$3.53 €3.06

-21.81%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.73 €1.50

61.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.78 €1.54

11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$5.81 €5.04

-24.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.35 €2.04

101.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$0.89 €0.77

44.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.96 €0.83

113.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.41 €2.95

-41.64%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$4.10 €3.56

-17.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$14.74 €12.77

27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$13.72 €11.89

-31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$21.77 €18.87

-12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$3.43 €2.97

-21.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.13 €1.85

9.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.29 €1.99

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$5.04 €4.37

-43.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.74 €1.50

13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.73 €1.50

4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$2.00 €1.73

-27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.15 €1.00

-25.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.98 €6.92

-15.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$6.39 €5.54

23.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.04 €0.90

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.57 €1.36

50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$3.53 €3.06

-17.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$60.8 €52.7

-52.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$5.65 €4.90

-21.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$2.20 €1.90

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$38.88 €33.70

-24.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.05 €1.77

-11.22%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$31.7K €27.5K

22.58%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$35.2K €30.5K

-6.00%

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

$189 €164

$375 €325

-49.52%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$24.96 €21.63

-8.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$42.56 €36.89

-11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$39.37 €34.12

46.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$22.73 €19.70

-8.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$16.07 €13.93

-32.67%

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

$728 €631

$610 €529

19.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$16.0K €13.9K

-7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$91.3 €79.1

-2.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$39.15 €33.94

-5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$100 €86.8

1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$143 €124

-18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$833 €722

88.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$653 €566

86.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$1,535 €1,331

82.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$1,244 €1,078

58.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$5,674 €4,918

36.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$3,639 €3,154

42.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.99

-15.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ruesselsheim: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $833 in Ruesselsheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $94.0 in Ruesselsheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $343 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 Ruesselsheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ruesselsheim differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,022 including rent). Ruesselsheim is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $3,033 in Ruesselsheim 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $833 in Ruesselsheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $610 in Ruesselsheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,022 in Ruesselsheim versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ruesselsheim but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ruesselsheim 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 Ruesselsheim 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 Ruesselsheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.