Cost of Living Comparison Between Esch-sur-Alzette and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Esch-sur-Alzette and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,083 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,477 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,871 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Esch-sur-Alzette is roughly 32% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Esch-sur-Alzette 130% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.80 €19.47

$17.61 €15.04

29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €50.3

$68.7 €58.7

-14.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.60 €13.32

$13.75 €11.74

13.45%

Cappuccino

$4.96 €4.24

$2.76 €2.36

79.71%

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

$2.55 €2.17

$2.78 €2.38

-8.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.29

$2.05 €1.75

30.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.81

$4.61 €3.93

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.12

$4.59 €3.92

-20.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.28 €1.09

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 €3.38

$2.11 €1.80

87.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €2.98

$1.97 €1.68

77.16%

Eggs

$4.52 €3.86

$3.44 €2.94

31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.36 €26.78

$18.83 €16.08

66.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.40 €14.00

$9.45 €8.07

73.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.73 €22.83

$19.01 €16.24

40.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.26

$2.72 €2.32

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.37 €2.03

-18.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.58

$2.08 €1.77

45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 €2.99

$2.76 €2.36

26.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 €2.91

$1.97 €1.68

73.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.79 €1.53

21.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 €1.72

$1.51 €1.29

33.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.90 €0.77

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.07

$6.76 €5.77

5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 €8.28

$7.55 €6.44

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 €3.21

$1.44 €1.23

161.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.86

$2.41 €2.06

87.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.37 €9.71

$4.43 €3.78

156.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 €2.95

$2.05 €1.75

68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.54 €38.89

$29.33 €25.05

55.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.89 €1.61

1.06%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

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

$32.4K €27.6K

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

$274 €234

$189 €161

45.08%

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

$33.49 €28.60

$22.21 €18.96

50.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.2 €78.7

$36.82 €31.44

150.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.59 €37.23

$58.0 €49.52

-24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €13.60

$11.05 €9.44

44.07%

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

$1,576 €1,346

$726 €620

116.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 €60.2

$88.3 €75.4

-20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 €34.53

$36.98 €31.58

9.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 €115

$103 €87.6

31.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €137

$119 €102

34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 €1,418

$1,526 €1,304

8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 €1,285

$1,218 €1,040

23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,123 €2,667

$2,794 €2,386

11.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,652 €2,265

$2,027 €1,731

30.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,730 €6,601

$7,094 €6,058

8.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,422 €5,485

$4,849 €4,141

32.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,993 €3,410

$2,404 €2,053

66.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.26

3.39

-3.83%

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

Last update for Esch-sur-Alzette: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,660 in Esch-sur-Alzette and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Esch-sur-Alzette pays 66% 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: $59.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $320, 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

Esch-sur-Alzette vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Esch-sur-Alzette and Barcelona differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($3,083 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Esch-sur-Alzette pays 66% 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: $1,660 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,576 in Esch-sur-Alzette versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $59.0 in Esch-sur-Alzette. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,083 in Esch-sur-Alzette, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Esch-sur-Alzette. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Esch-sur-Alzette and Barcelona 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Esch-sur-Alzette. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.