Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint Louis, MO Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint Louis, MO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,433 in Saint Louis, MO.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,689 in Saint Louis, MO.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,945 in Saint Louis, MO.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 2% more expensive than in Saint Louis, MO, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Saint Louis, MO 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$18.03 $18.03

3.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$78.0 $78.0

-10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$11.97 $11.97

15.04%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.14 $5.14

-39.69%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.46 $2.46

15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.69 $1.69

11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.85 $5.85

-31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.10 $7.10

-36.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.28 $1.28

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.83 $3.83

-43.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$5.70 $5.70

-69.12%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.99 $3.99

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.36 $13.36

33.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$15.51 $15.51

-37.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$20.56 $20.56

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$8.55 $8.55

-61.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.36 $2.36

-5.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$5.69 $5.69

-54.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$5.29 $5.29

-47.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$4.30 $4.30

-48.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$4.89 $4.89

-56.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.91 $2.91

-46.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.84 $2.84

-66.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.04 $8.04

-8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$14.82 $14.82

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.90 $2.90

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.34 $3.34

-16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.53 $2.53

22.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$78.8 $78.8

-67.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.40 $3.40

-3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.59 $1.59

-6.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$40.34 $40.34

-15.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.93 $0.93

86.02%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.7K $34.7K

4.93%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.8K $24.8K

23.07%

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

$187 €163

$246 $246

-23.88%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$70.2 $70.2

-78.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$74.9 $74.9

-49.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$32.06 $32.06

74.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$19.91 $19.91

-14.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$14.14 $14.14

-19.31%

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

$997 €869

$1,390 $1,390

-28.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$23.8K $23.8K

-30.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$58.0 $58.0

59.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$43.00 $43.00

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$88.4 $88.4

25.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$117 $117

7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,532 $1,532

11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$930 $930

38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,052 $2,052

25.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,694 $1,694

14.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,368 $1,368

458.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,813 $1,813

184.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$4,265 $4,265

-44.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.09

-48.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,532 in Saint Louis, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Louis, MO pays 82% 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 $78.0 in Saint Louis, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $495 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 Saint Louis, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Saint Louis, MO differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,433 including rent). Saint Louis, MO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Saint Louis, MO. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,532 in Saint Louis, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,390 in Saint Louis, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 47% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Saint Louis, MO 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 Louis, MO 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 Saint Louis, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.