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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Saint-Louis versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Saint-Louis versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Saint-Louis versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Saint-Louis costs roughly 65% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint-Louis is 36% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 F CFA 1,962

$18.39 €15.81

-81.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

$69.2 €59.5

-19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 F CFA 6,615

$14.13 €12.15

-16.91%

Cappuccino

$3.44 F CFA 1,940

$3.13 €2.69

9.90%

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

$1.25 F CFA 704

$3.02 €2.59

-58.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 493

$1.96 €1.69

-55.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 F CFA 1,033

$4.00 €3.44

-54.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 F CFA 2,478

$4.76 €4.09

-7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 F CFA 1,568

$1.25 €1.07

122.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 F CFA 158

$2.16 €1.86

-87.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 978

$1.69 €1.45

2.96%

Eggs

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

$4.93 €4.24

-47.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.34 F CFA 9,775

$17.88 €15.37

-3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 F CFA 5,397

$9.61 €8.26

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 F CFA 6,432

$19.34 €16.63

-41.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 F CFA 1,835

$3.24 €2.78

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 F CFA 1,078

$2.18 €1.87

-12.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 F CFA 1,684

$2.67 €2.30

11.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

$2.77 €2.38

-35.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 778

$2.21 €1.90

-37.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 F CFA 592

$2.19 €1.88

-52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 F CFA 670

$1.52 €1.31

-21.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 F CFA 413

$0.92 €0.79

-20.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

$7.12 €6.12

-67.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 F CFA 9,947

$8.14 €6.99

116.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 F CFA 905

$1.50 €1.29

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 F CFA 1,918

$2.78 €2.39

22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 F CFA 526

$3.25 €2.79

-71.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 F CFA 1,226

$1.50 €1.29

45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.55 F CFA 9,891

$34.89 €30.00

-49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 F CFA 945

$1.75 €1.50

-4.00%

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

$52.0K F CFA 29.3M

$36.7K €31.5K

41.71%

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

$50.4K F CFA 28.4M

$30.9K €26.6K

63.06%

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

$209 F CFA 117.6K

$188 €161

11.25%

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

$11.91 F CFA 6,712

$15.44 €13.27

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.07 F CFA 27.1K

$37.80 €32.49

27.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 F CFA 5,066

$11.58 €9.95

-22.37%

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

$316 F CFA 178.2K

$1,003 €862

-68.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

$17.0K €14.6K

-36.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 F CFA 34.0K

$89.2 €76.7

-32.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.08 F CFA 27.1K

$40.87 €35.14

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 F CFA 50.1K

$110 €94.5

-19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 F CFA 56.7K

$123 €105

-18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 F CFA 253.5K

$1,673 €1,438

-73.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

3.16

176.90%

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

Last update for Saint-Louis: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Saint-Louis and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Saint-Louis vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $332 per month, with Saint-Louis 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

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

Saint-Louis and Barcelona differ by about 185% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $2,495 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,313 in Saint-Louis and $3,743 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Saint-Louis versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Saint-Louis versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Louis – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $876 in Saint-Louis versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint-Louis but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Louis 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-Louis 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-Louis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.