Cost of Living Comparison Between Mons and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mons and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,965 in Mons versus $2,434 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,882 in Mons versus $3,473 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Mons versus $4,512 in Barcelona.

Living in Mons costs roughly 19% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mons 43% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.08

$18.80 €16.09

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 €72.2

$69.5 €59.4

21.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.06

$14.08 €12.05

-24.79%

Cappuccino

$3.56 €3.05

$3.12 €2.66

14.10%

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

$2.64 €2.25

$2.91 €2.49

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.87 €1.60

4.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 €4.01

$4.00 €3.42

17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.66

$4.64 €3.97

-7.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.04

$1.19 €1.02

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.13 €1.82

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.84 €1.57

19.02%

Eggs

$4.14 €3.54

$5.13 €4.39

-19.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.89 €16.16

$16.39 €14.02

15.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.92 €11.05

$9.71 €8.31

33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 €16.78

$19.65 €16.81

-0.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.41

$3.13 €2.68

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.20

$2.18 €1.87

18.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.30

$2.46 €2.11

9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 €2.61

$2.77 €2.37

10.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.12 €1.82

6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.05

$2.23 €1.90

-44.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.49 €1.27

-8.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.91 €0.78

21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 €8.50

$7.26 €6.21

36.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 €5.03

$8.29 €7.09

-29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.54 €1.32

35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.68 €2.30

-27.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 €2.85

$3.07 €2.63

8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 €48.14

$25.93 €22.18

117.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.55 €9.88

$3.34 €2.86

245.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 €2.59

$1.88 €1.61

60.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.8 €46.04

$34.98 €29.92

53.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.74 €1.49

4.02%

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

$37.2K €31.8K

$36.5K €31.2K

1.80%

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

$34.5K €29.5K

$31.5K €27.0K

9.41%

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

$227 €194

$183 €156

24.33%

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

$21.72 €18.58

$15.70 €13.43

38.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.20 €42.09

$36.73 €31.42

33.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.97 €23.07

$53.5 €45.76

-49.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.73

$17.13 €14.65

7.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 €10.93

$11.51 €9.85

11.03%

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

$574 €491

$952 €815

-39.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K €18.6K

$16.2K €13.8K

34.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.0

$82.5 €70.5

33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 €43.04

$40.47 €34.62

24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$108 €92.2

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €125

$125 €107

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 €609

$1,668 €1,426

-57.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 €627

$1,288 €1,101

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 €918

$2,663 €2,278

-59.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 €890

$1,904 €1,628

-45.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,344 €3,716

$7,513 €6,427

-42.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,055 €2,613

$5,178 €4,429

-41.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,941 €2,516

$2,451 €2,096

20.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.12

2.56%

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

Last update for Mons: August 18, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Mons and $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mons pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Mons vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $328 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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

Mons vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mons and Barcelona differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,965 vs $2,434 including rent). Mons is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Mons, 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: $712 in Mons versus $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $574 in Mons versus $952 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,965 in Mons versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mons but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mons 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, Mons 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 Mons gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.