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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $876 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,385 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,895 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 185% more expensive than in Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Saint-Louis is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$3.48 F CFA 1,962

428.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$11.74 F CFA 6,615

20.36%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.44 F CFA 1,940

-9.01%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.25 F CFA 704

141.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.87 F CFA 493

125.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.83 F CFA 1,033

118.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$4.40 F CFA 2,478

8.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.78 F CFA 1,568

-55.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.28 F CFA 158

671.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.74 F CFA 978

-2.87%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

89.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$17.34 F CFA 9,775

3.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$9.58 F CFA 5,397

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$11.41 F CFA 6,432

69.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.26 F CFA 1,835

-0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.91 F CFA 1,078

14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.99 F CFA 1,684

-10.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

53.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.38 F CFA 778

60.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.05 F CFA 592

108.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.19 F CFA 670

27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.73 F CFA 413

26.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

212.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$17.65 F CFA 9,947

-53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.61 F CFA 905

-6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.40 F CFA 1,918

-18.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.93 F CFA 526

249.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.18 F CFA 1,226

-31.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$17.55 F CFA 9,891

98.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.68 F CFA 945

4.17%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$52.0K F CFA 29.3M

-29.44%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$50.4K F CFA 28.4M

-38.67%

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

$188 €161

$209 F CFA 117.6K

-10.11%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$11.91 F CFA 6,712

29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$48.07 F CFA 27.1K

-21.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$8.99 F CFA 5,066

28.81%

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

$1,003 €862

$316 F CFA 178.2K

217.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

57.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$60.4 F CFA 34.0K

47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$48.08 F CFA 27.1K

-15.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$88.9 F CFA 50.1K

23.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$101 F CFA 56.7K

21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$450 F CFA 253.5K

272.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.75

-63.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $450 in Saint-Louis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Saint-Louis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $301 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 185% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $876 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,313 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $450 in Saint-Louis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $316 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 $56.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $876 in Saint-Louis versus $2,495 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 185% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.