Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Villeurbanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Villeurbanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,136 in Villeurbanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,018 in Villeurbanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,900 in Villeurbanne.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 9% more expensive than in Villeurbanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Villeurbanne 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$17.39 €15.23

1.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$57.5 €50.4

21.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$13.50 €11.82

4.89%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.95 €3.46

-29.11%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.93 €2.56

-4.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.89 €1.66

8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$5.74 €5.03

-19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.06 €6.18

-33.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.37 €1.20

-10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.64 €2.31

-23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.67 €2.34

-25.84%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.04 €3.54

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$19.36 €16.95

-5.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$15.60 €13.66

-36.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$26.15 €22.91

-26.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.08 €2.70

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.49 €2.18

-4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.51 €3.07

-40.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.86 €3.38

-28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.32 €2.03

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.84 €2.49

-36.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.42 €1.24

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.86 €0.76

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$13.68 €11.98

-47.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.08 €7.08

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$3.02 €2.64

-54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.09 €2.71

-22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.22 €1.94

35.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$83.5 €73.1

-64.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.06 €4.43

-13.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.88 €1.65

13.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$33.65 €29.47

-12.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.04 €1.78

-10.78%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$38.0K €33.3K

-0.31%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$37.4K €32.8K

-13.41%

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

$189 €166

$199 €174

-4.82%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$22.61 €19.80

-1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$35.02 €30.67

6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$38.18 €33.44

51.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$18.00 €15.76

14.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$14.12 €12.37

-23.02%

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

$706 €618

$732 €641

-3.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,182 €7,166

81.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$101 €88.5

-11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$46.35 €40.59

-21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$123 €108

-15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$182 €159

-34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,034 €906

52.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$782 €685

58.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,187 €1,039

128.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$897 €786

127.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,968 €3,475

89.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,043 €2,665

72.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$4,271 €3,740

-44.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.67

-7.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Villeurbanne: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,034 in Villeurbanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Villeurbanne pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Villeurbanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $411, 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 Villeurbanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Villeurbanne differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,136 including rent). Villeurbanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Villeurbanne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,034 in Villeurbanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $732 in Villeurbanne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,136 in Villeurbanne versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Villeurbanne but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Villeurbanne 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 Villeurbanne 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 Villeurbanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.