Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saarlouis Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saarlouis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,946 in Saarlouis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,885 in Saarlouis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,825 in Saarlouis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 20% more expensive than Saarlouis, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Saarlouis 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$13.67 €11.78

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$52.9 €45.61

30.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$11.79 €10.16

16.88%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.93 €2.53

-5.80%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.98 €2.56

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.44 €2.10

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$4.55 €3.92

-4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.45 €2.98

37.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.21 €1.04

6.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.23 €1.92

-8.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.32 €2.86

-40.06%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.75 €3.23

-9.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$14.65 €12.62

28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$15.16 €13.06

-38.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$19.59 €16.88

-2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.99 €2.57

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.54 €1.32

51.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.30 €1.98

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.16 €4.45

-44.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.43 €1.23

37.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.49 €1.28

20.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.70 €1.47

-14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.97 €0.84

-11.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$9.61 €8.28

-29.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$5.70 €4.91

38.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.99 €0.85

40.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.56 €1.35

51.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$3.54 €3.05

-17.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$61.6 €53.1

-53.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.27 €4.54

-15.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.22 €1.05

68.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$35.33 €30.44

-16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.94 €1.67

-6.19%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.9K €27.5K

21.77%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$33.0K €28.5K

0.16%

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

$189 €163

$305 €263

-38.01%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$19.15 €16.50

19.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$49.51 €42.65

-24.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$39.75 €34.25

45.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$22.93 €19.76

-9.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$11.43 €9.85

-5.34%

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

$728 €628

$456 €393

59.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$9,817 €8,458

50.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$72.9 €62.8

21.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$36.57 €31.51

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$98.4 €84.8

3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$126 €108

-7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$854 €736

83.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$664 €572

83.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,516 €1,306

84.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,242 €1,070

59.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,954 €4,268

56.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,685 €3,175

40.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.47

-2.31%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Saarlouis: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $854 in Saarlouis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Saarlouis. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $345, 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 Saarlouis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Saarlouis differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,946 including rent). Saarlouis 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 $2,918 in Saarlouis 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 $854 in Saarlouis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $456 in Saarlouis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,946 in Saarlouis versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saarlouis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saarlouis 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 Saarlouis 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 Saarlouis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.