Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Seine-Saint-Denis Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Seine-Saint-Denis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,876 in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,791 in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $3,706 in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 28% more expensive than Seine-Saint-Denis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Seine-Saint-Denis 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$11.40 €9.82

55.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$40.79 €35.13

71.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$11.70 €10.08

16.75%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$4.78 €4.12

-42.68%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$4.03 €3.47

-30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.42 €2.94

-42.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$8.30 €7.14

-47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$7.99 €6.88

-42.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.55 €1.33

-16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.99 €1.71

3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.98 €2.57

-33.56%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.42 €2.94

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$25.91 €22.31

-28.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$11.77 €10.14

-18.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.41 €16.71

-2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.58 €3.08

-23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.71 €1.47

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$3.36 €2.89

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.28 €1.96

23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.68 €2.30

-24.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.06 €2.64

-39.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.18 €1.01

27.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.93 €0.80

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$15.32 €13.19

-53.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$9.17 €7.89

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.85 €2.45

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$4.21 €3.63

-45.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.93 €1.66

49.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$49.47 €42.60

-42.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$4.74 €4.08

-7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.03 €1.74

5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$54.6 €46.98

-46.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.09 €1.80

-11.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.0K €31.0K

8.31%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$36.4K €31.3K

-10.17%

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

$189 €163

$246 €212

-23.01%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$17.07 €14.70

33.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$36.56 €31.49

-0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$36.91 €31.78

56.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$18.51 €15.94

15.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$15.40 €13.26

-29.81%

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

$726 €625

$886 €763

-18.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$8,709 €7,499

73.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$113 €97.1

-22.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$46.47 €40.01

-20.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$124 €107

-16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$161 €139

-27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$769 €663

104.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$605 €521

101.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,380 €1,189

96.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$1,075 €925

82.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$4,133 €3,559

88.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$2,878 €2,478

82.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$2,233 €1,923

6.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.55

-4.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Seine-Saint-Denis: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $769 in Seine-Saint-Denis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 6% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Seine-Saint-Denis. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $380, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Seine-Saint-Denis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Seine-Saint-Denis differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,876 including rent). Seine-Saint-Denis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 6% more on average, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $769 in Seine-Saint-Denis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $886 in Seine-Saint-Denis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,876 in Seine-Saint-Denis versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Seine-Saint-Denis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Seine-Saint-Denis 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 Seine-Saint-Denis 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 Seine-Saint-Denis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.