Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Etienne and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Etienne and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,502 in Saint-Etienne versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Saint-Etienne versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Saint-Etienne versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Saint-Etienne costs roughly 37% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint-Etienne 12% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 €14.32

$17.58 €15.14

-5.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.66 €39.32

$68.4 €58.9

-33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.50

$14.06 €12.10

-4.98%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.77

$2.78 €2.39

-26.26%

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

$2.72 €2.34

$2.80 €2.41

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.06 €1.78

-42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.46 €3.84

-11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.90

$4.61 €3.97

-1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.24 €1.07

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.03 €1.75

-41.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.92 €1.65

36.46%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.07

$3.31 €2.85

7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.35 €15.80

$18.43 €15.87

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.48 €13.33

$9.49 €8.17

63.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.63 €17.77

$19.16 €16.50

7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.64 €2.27

22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.45 €2.11

-8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.12 €1.83

18.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €2.97

$2.85 €2.45

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.04 €1.75

16.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$1.85 €1.59

47.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.47 €1.27

6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 €0.31

$0.84 €0.73

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.88 €11.09

$7.14 €6.15

80.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €6.89

$7.88 €6.79

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.68

$1.38 €1.19

125.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 €3.28

$2.31 €1.99

64.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.98 €2.57

-47.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.08 €41.40

$29.26 €25.20

64.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 €4.45

$4.60 €3.96

12.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.07 €1.78

-14.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.95 €28.37

$29.18 €25.13

12.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.84 €1.58

8.15%

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

$37.8K €32.6K

$39.0K €33.6K

-3.00%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$32.7K €28.2K

14.37%

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

$122 €105

$188 €162

-35.30%

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

$27.75 €23.90

$22.93 €19.75

21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.01 €29.28

$36.71 €31.61

-7.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.67 €27.27

$57.4 €49.41

-44.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.92 €5.96

$20.70 €17.82

-66.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.08

$11.19 €9.64

-5.72%

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

$782 €673

$721 €621

8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,188 €7,051

$15.0K €13.0K

-45.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 €69.6

$86.2 €74.2

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 €37.93

$37.07 €31.92

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 €73.4

$102 €87.9

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.3

$116 €99.8

-1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 €495

$1,534 €1,321

-62.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 €388

$1,220 €1,051

-63.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 €777

$2,696 €2,321

-66.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €595

$2,013 €1,734

-65.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,765 €1,520

$7,220 €6,217

-75.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,470

$5,189 €4,468

-67.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,319 €1,997

$2,359 €2,032

-1.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.39

7.37%

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

Last update for Saint-Etienne: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Saint-Etienne and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 2% 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: $46.00 in Saint-Etienne vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $318, 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

Saint-Etienne vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Etienne and Barcelona differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,502 vs $2,367 including rent). Saint-Etienne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 2% less. 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: $575 in Saint-Etienne versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $782 in Saint-Etienne versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,502 in Saint-Etienne versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saint-Etienne but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Etienne 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, Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.