Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meaux and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Meaux: $1,303 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Meaux, France
Barcelona, Spain
Meaux
🇫🇷 France
$1,303
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Meaux and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Meaux and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Meaux versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Meaux $1,303
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,100 in Meaux versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Meaux $2,100
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Meaux versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Meaux $2,896
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Meaux costs roughly 47% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Meaux is 4% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.20 €17.13
$17.59 €15.69
9.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.1 €70.5
$67.5 €60.2
17.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.50 €12.04
$13.53 €12.07
-0.22%
Cappuccino
$5.00 €4.46
$3.19 €2.85
56.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 €3.98
$2.91 €2.60
53.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.33
$1.89 €1.69
38.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.00 €7.14
$4.01 €3.58
99.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.66 €5.94
$4.53 €4.04
47.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.31 €1.16
0.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 €1.18
$2.02 €1.80
-34.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.85 €1.65
-10.81%
Eggs
$3.94 €3.51
$4.83 €4.31
-18.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.22 €10.01
$16.74 €14.93
-32.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.56 €12.10
$9.12 €8.14
48.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.83 €19.48
$19.64 €17.52
11.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 €2.95
$2.98 €2.66
10.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.02 €1.80
-26.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 €2.54
$2.70 €2.41
5.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.80 €2.50
-20.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$2.09 €1.86
-9.09%
Onion (1kg)
$2.52 €2.25
$2.07 €1.85
21.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.46 €1.30
-6.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 €0.39
$0.94 €0.84
-53.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.82 €13.22
$6.87 €6.13
115.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.54 €4.05
$7.89 €7.04
-42.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.41 €1.25
93.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 €3.16
$2.54 €2.26
39.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.26 €3.80
$3.14 €2.80
35.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 €92.3
$25.45 €22.70
306.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.99 €8.02
$2.99 €2.67
200.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.49 €1.33
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.00 €40.15
$33.37 €29.78
34.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.80 €1.60
23.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.4K
$33.2K €29.6K
2.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.2K €33.1K
$31.7K €28.3K
17.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$245 €218
$180 €161
35.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.36 €10.13
$13.84 €12.35
-17.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.89 €26.67
$33.70 €30.06
-11.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$51.5 €45.96
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.96 €14.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.70 €14.01
$10.99 €9.81
42.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,782 €1,590
$917 €818
94.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K €23.4K
$16.5K €14.7K
58.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 €99.1
$87.0 €77.7
27.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.3 €45.80
$38.51 €34.35
33.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 €104
$106 €94.4
10.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €143
$120 €107
33.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,699 €1,516
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,355 €1,209
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,603 €2,322
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,062 €1,840
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,528 €4,040
$6,915 €6,169
-34.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,342 €2,982
$5,128 €4,575
-34.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Meaux
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,236 €2,887
$2,211 €1,972
46.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.45
3.28
5.18%

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

Last update for Meaux: October 24, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Eating Out
Meaux
$336
Barcelona
$268 20.2% $68
Groceries & Markets
Meaux
$315
Barcelona
$322 2.2% $6.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Meaux
$286
Barcelona
$228 20.3% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Meaux
$198
Barcelona
$158 20.2% $40
Getting Around
Meaux
$137
Barcelona
$48 64.6% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Meaux
$31 *
Barcelona
$74 134% $42
Accommodation & Living
Meaux
- *
Barcelona
$1.4K

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Meaux pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Meaux vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $322, with Meaux cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Meaux
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
16:11 4:11 PM
16:11 4:11 PM
Same time as Meaux
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
55,616
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Meaux Barcelona 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Meaux
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Meaux vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Meaux and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,303 in Meaux and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Meaux is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Meaux or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 46% higher in Meaux, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Meaux and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $1,782 in Meaux versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $79 in Meaux. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,303 in Meaux versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Meaux but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Meaux the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Meaux and Barcelona?
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.
Is Meaux or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Meaux and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Meaux vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?