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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $778 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,264 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,750 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Saint-Louis is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.45 F CFA 1,945

409.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$53.5 F CFA 30.2K

27.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.42 F CFA 5,883

34.93%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.51 F CFA 2,546

-38.36%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.84 F CFA 475

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.05 F CFA 595

96.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.80 F CFA 1,018

147.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.28 F CFA 2,418

7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.57 F CFA 1,451

-51.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.27 F CFA 153

651.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.62 F CFA 913

18.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.60 F CFA 7,113

46.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.22 F CFA 5,202

2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.95 F CFA 6,182

74.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.82 F CFA 1,593

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.00 F CFA 1,127

22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.60 F CFA 1,470

-18.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.06 F CFA 1,165

38.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.55 F CFA 875

31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.34 F CFA 756

38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.02 F CFA 573

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.72 F CFA 408

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.64 F CFA 923

335.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$15.33 F CFA 8,651

-48.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.17 F CFA 661

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.24 F CFA 1,267

3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.91 F CFA 514

405.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.78 F CFA 1,571

-25.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$17.72 F CFA 10.0K

64.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.73 F CFA 974

6.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.0K F CFA 20.3M

8.39%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$49.7K F CFA 28.1M

-34.25%

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

$188 €162

$140 F CFA 79.2K

33.85%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$9.67 F CFA 5,458

137.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$50.6 F CFA 28.6K

-27.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$8.93 F CFA 5,043

25.31%

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

$721 €621

$265 F CFA 149.7K

171.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$7,357 F CFA 4.2M

104.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$69.5 F CFA 39.2K

24.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$44.04 F CFA 24.9K

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$103 F CFA 58.2K

-1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$130 F CFA 73.2K

-10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$443 F CFA 249.9K

246.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $443 in Saint-Louis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Saint-Louis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $270 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 204% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $778 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,167 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $443 in Saint-Louis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $265 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Saint-Louis versus $2,367 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 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.