Cost of Living Comparison Between Rouen and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Rouen and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,609 in Rouen versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,417 in Rouen versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,225 in Rouen versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Rouen costs roughly 32% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rouen 20% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.91 €11.97

$17.58 €15.12

-20.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.37

$68.4 €58.9

-16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.88

$14.06 €12.09

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$3.40 €2.92

$2.78 €2.39

22.30%

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

$2.61 €2.25

$2.80 €2.41

-6.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.06 €1.78

-15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 €6.23

$4.46 €3.84

62.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.04

$4.61 €3.96

27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.24 €1.07

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.03 €1.74

-43.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.92 €1.65

-2.08%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.62

$3.31 €2.85

-7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 €12.79

$18.43 €15.85

-19.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 €8.57

$9.49 €8.16

4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.92 €18.00

$19.16 €16.48

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.64 €2.27

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.45 €2.11

-23.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.12 €1.82

-20.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.85 €2.45

24.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.04 €1.75

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 €3.26

$1.85 €1.59

104.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.47 €1.26

17.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.84 €0.73

-11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.09 €12.12

$7.14 €6.14

97.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 €5.56

$7.88 €6.78

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.38 €1.19

63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.31 €1.99

-24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.98 €2.56

-32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 €44.14

$29.26 €25.17

75.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.02

$4.60 €3.95

1.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.07 €1.78

-4.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.13 €31.07

$29.18 €25.10

23.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.84 €1.58

12.50%

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

$35.9K €30.9K

$39.0K €33.6K

-8.06%

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

$38.8K €33.4K

$32.7K €28.1K

18.60%

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

$167 €144

$188 €162

-10.88%

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

$28.20 €24.26

$22.93 €19.73

22.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.45 €28.77

$36.71 €31.58

-8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 €32.62

$57.4 €49.35

-33.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 €14.97

$20.70 €17.80

-15.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 €11.74

$11.19 €9.63

21.98%

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

$916 €788

$721 €620

27.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,664 €7,453

$15.0K €12.9K

-42.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 €71.2

$86.2 €74.2

-4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.57 €22.00

$37.07 €31.89

-31.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €76.1

$102 €87.8

-13.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.0

$116 €99.7

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 €486

$1,534 €1,319

-63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 €454

$1,220 €1,050

-56.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 €906

$2,696 €2,319

-60.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €745

$2,013 €1,732

-56.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,083 €3,512

$7,220 €6,211

-43.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,393 €2,058

$5,189 €4,463

-53.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,722 €2,342

$2,359 €2,029

15.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.39

6.78%

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

Last update for Rouen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $565 in Rouen and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rouen pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Rouen vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $318 per month, with Rouen 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

Rouen vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rouen and Barcelona differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,609 vs $2,367 including rent). Rouen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rouen pays 15% 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: $565 in Rouen versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $916 in Rouen versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,609 in Rouen versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rouen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rouen 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, Rouen 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 Rouen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.