Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tours Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tours

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,650 in Tours.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,678 in Tours.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,706 in Tours.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 41% more expensive than in Tours, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Tours 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$19.53 €17.09

-9.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$57.9 €50.7

20.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$14.11 €12.34

0.35%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.09 €3.58

-31.54%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.13 €2.74

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.85 €1.62

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$8.26 €7.23

-44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$4.80 €4.20

-2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.21 €1.06

1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.64 €1.43

23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.11 €1.85

-6.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.44 €3.89

-21.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$19.18 €16.78

-4.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$12.74 €11.15

-22.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$19.20 €16.80

-0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.79 €3.31

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.20 €2.80

-25.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.03 €2.65

-31.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.73 €3.26

-26.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.94 €1.70

1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.05 €1.79

-12.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.70 €1.49

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.31 €0.27

193.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$13.09 €11.46

-45.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.65 €7.57

-8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.39 €2.10

-42.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.58 €2.25

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.19 €1.91

37.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$52.3 €45.76

-43.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.57 €3.12

22.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.93 €1.69

10.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$34.56 €30.23

-14.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.00 €1.75

-9.00%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$32.2K €28.2K

17.54%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$33.6K €29.4K

-3.57%

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

$189 €165

$140 €123

34.57%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$26.81 €23.46

-16.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$26.94 €23.57

37.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$35.70 €31.23

62.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$14.16 €12.39

45.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$12.30 €10.76

-11.63%

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

$706 €618

$467 €409

51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,701 €7,612

70.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$121 €106

-25.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$40.84 €35.73

-10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$126 €110

-17.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$146 €128

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$601 €526

162.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$477 €418

159.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,488 €1,302

82.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,025 €897

98.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$3,765 €3,294

99.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$2,269 €1,985

4.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.59

-5.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tours: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $601 in Tours. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 4% 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 $58.0 in Tours. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $357, 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 Tours: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tours differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,650 including rent). Tours is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $601 in Tours. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $467 in Tours. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,650 in Tours versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tours but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tours 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 Tours 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 Tours gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.