Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint-Louis Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint-Louis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $783 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,274 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,765 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 196% more expensive than in Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Saint-Louis is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.48 F CFA 1,998

407.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$53.0 F CFA 30.4K

31.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.20 F CFA 5,854

38.82%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.59 F CFA 2,635

-39.00%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.92 F CFA 530

205.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.06 F CFA 606

94.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.81 F CFA 1,038

154.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.47 F CFA 2,567

4.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.64 F CFA 1,515

-53.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.27 F CFA 156

651.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.60 F CFA 918

23.75%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.71 F CFA 1,555

28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.92 F CFA 7,416

41.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$9.08 F CFA 5,214

8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.94 F CFA 6,279

74.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.74 F CFA 1,573

-0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.90 F CFA 1,091

25.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.60 F CFA 1,493

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.08 F CFA 1,194

32.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.49 F CFA 858

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.35 F CFA 774

32.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.02 F CFA 588

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.68 F CFA 390

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.55 F CFA 888

360.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$17.11 F CFA 9,826

-53.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.19 F CFA 685

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.33 F CFA 1,338

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.92 F CFA 528

373.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.85 F CFA 1,635

-25.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.70 F CFA 10.2K

67.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.80 F CFA 1,031

1.11%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$36.0K F CFA 20.7M

5.24%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$50.3K F CFA 28.9M

-35.59%

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

$189 €166

$140 F CFA 80.1K

35.45%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$9.72 F CFA 5,582

129.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$50.1 F CFA 28.7K

-25.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$9.06 F CFA 5,200

19.98%

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

$706 €618

$267 F CFA 153.1K

164.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,248 F CFA 4.2M

105.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$67.6 F CFA 38.8K

32.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$43.90 F CFA 25.2K

-16.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$103 F CFA 59.1K

1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$128 F CFA 73.7K

-6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$443 F CFA 254.2K

256.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.25

-58.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $443 in Saint-Louis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Saint-Louis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $273 per month, with Saint-Louis 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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Saint-Louis differ by about 196% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $783 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,174 in Saint-Louis 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $443 in Saint-Louis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $267 in Saint-Louis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Louis – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Saint-Louis versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint-Louis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.