Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint-Leu

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Saint-Leu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Saint-Leu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,502 in Saint-Leu.

Barcelona $2,443
Saint-Leu $1,502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,353 in Saint-Leu.

Barcelona $3,519
Saint-Leu $2,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,204 in Saint-Leu.

Barcelona $4,595
Saint-Leu $3,204

Living in Barcelona is roughly 63% more expensive than in Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Saint-Leu 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$27.82 €24.71

-36.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$88.9 €79.0

-24.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$2.87 €2.55

8.01%

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

$3.00 €2.67

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.10 €0.97

75.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$7.60 €6.75

-49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$5.49 €4.88

-20.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.15 €1.02

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.24 €1.10

70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.22 €1.97

-11.26%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$4.44 €3.95

7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$22.35 €19.85

-23.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$3.41 €3.03

-7.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.66 €1.47

18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.18 €1.94

21.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$3.28 €2.92

-12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.28 €2.02

-9.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.29 €2.03

-4.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.82 €0.73

18.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$14.58 €12.95

-52.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$5.60 €4.98

40.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.67 €1.48

-14.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.95 €1.74

-4.10%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

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

$31.9K €28.4K

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

$183 €162

$95.9 €85.2

90.65%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$10.02 €8.90

42.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$33.31 €29.59

3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$33.67 €29.91

52.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$10.23 €9.09

8.11%

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

$944 €838

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$1,115 €990

52.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$788 €700

69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$2,049 €1,820

31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$1,353 €1,202

53.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

$1,995 €1,772

12.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

-20.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,115 in Saint-Leu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $89 in Saint-Leu. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $211, with Saint-Leu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

3 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

34,893

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Saint-Leu 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Saint-Leu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Saint-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,502 in Saint-Leu, so Saint-Leu is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $89 in Saint-Leu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,443 per month in Barcelona versus $1,502 in Saint-Leu – Saint-Leu is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Saint-Leu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Saint-Leu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Saint-Leu wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.