Cost of Living Comparison Between Villeurbanne and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Villeurbanne and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,131 in Villeurbanne versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,001 in Villeurbanne versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Villeurbanne versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Villeurbanne costs roughly 10% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Villeurbanne 58% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.22 โ‚ฌ14.65
$17.64 โ‚ฌ15.01
-2.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.6 โ‚ฌ48.97
$68.1 โ‚ฌ58.0
-15.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.54 โ‚ฌ11.52
$13.96 โ‚ฌ11.88
-3.01%
Cappuccino
$4.01 โ‚ฌ3.41
$2.76 โ‚ฌ2.35
45.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 โ‚ฌ2.42
$2.76 โ‚ฌ2.35
2.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 โ‚ฌ1.64
$1.97 โ‚ฌ1.67
-2.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 โ‚ฌ4.83
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.85
25.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.96 โ‚ฌ5.93
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.85
53.64%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 โ‚ฌ1.19
$1.24 โ‚ฌ1.05
12.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.62 โ‚ฌ2.23
$2.04 โ‚ฌ1.73
28.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.63 โ‚ฌ2.24
$1.91 โ‚ฌ1.63
37.70%
Eggs
$4.03 โ‚ฌ3.43
$3.39 โ‚ฌ2.89
18.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.34 โ‚ฌ16.45
$18.34 โ‚ฌ15.60
5.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.49 โ‚ฌ13.18
$9.39 โ‚ฌ7.99
64.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.45 โ‚ฌ21.65
$18.90 โ‚ฌ16.08
34.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 โ‚ฌ2.63
$2.63 โ‚ฌ2.23
17.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 โ‚ฌ2.11
$2.40 โ‚ฌ2.04
3.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.56 โ‚ฌ3.03
$2.12 โ‚ฌ1.80
67.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 โ‚ฌ3.27
$2.70 โ‚ฌ2.30
42.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.35 โ‚ฌ2.00
$2.05 โ‚ฌ1.75
14.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.86 โ‚ฌ2.43
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.52
60.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 โ‚ฌ1.25
$1.47 โ‚ฌ1.25
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 โ‚ฌ0.73
$0.91 โ‚ฌ0.77
-5.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.67 โ‚ฌ11.63
$7.01 โ‚ฌ5.97
95.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.35 โ‚ฌ7.11
$7.59 โ‚ฌ6.46
10.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.05 โ‚ฌ2.60
$1.44 โ‚ฌ1.22
111.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 โ‚ฌ2.73
$2.32 โ‚ฌ1.97
38.36%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 โ‚ฌ1.98
$2.94 โ‚ฌ2.50
-20.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.6 โ‚ฌ72.0
$29.38 โ‚ฌ25.00
187.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.15 โ‚ฌ4.38
$4.53 โ‚ฌ3.85
13.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 โ‚ฌ1.62
$2.14 โ‚ฌ1.82
-11.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 โ‚ฌ28.40
$28.97 โ‚ฌ24.65
15.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 โ‚ฌ1.71
$1.89 โ‚ฌ1.61
6.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K โ‚ฌ31.5K
$39.0K โ‚ฌ33.2K
-5.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.3K โ‚ฌ31.8K
$32.4K โ‚ฌ27.6K
15.06%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 โ‚ฌ167
$189 โ‚ฌ161
4.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.85 โ‚ฌ19.44
$22.24 โ‚ฌ18.92
2.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.21 โ‚ฌ29.11
$36.57 โ‚ฌ31.12
-6.45%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.05 โ‚ฌ31.53
$58.0 โ‚ฌ49.38
-36.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.15 โ‚ฌ15.45
$21.30 โ‚ฌ18.13
-14.79%
Cinema Ticket
$14.01 โ‚ฌ11.92
$11.01 โ‚ฌ9.37
27.25%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$752 โ‚ฌ640
$731 โ‚ฌ622
2.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,953 โ‚ฌ6,768
$14.8K โ‚ฌ12.6K
-46.38%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 โ‚ฌ85.5
$89.3 โ‚ฌ76.0
12.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.10 โ‚ฌ39.23
$37.38 โ‚ฌ31.81
23.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 โ‚ฌ102
$105 โ‚ฌ89.0
15.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$179 โ‚ฌ152
$116 โ‚ฌ99.0
53.70%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,038 โ‚ฌ883
$1,551 โ‚ฌ1,320
-33.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$763 โ‚ฌ649
$1,216 โ‚ฌ1,035
-37.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 โ‚ฌ1,019
$2,799 โ‚ฌ2,382
-57.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$894 โ‚ฌ761
$2,008 โ‚ฌ1,709
-55.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,248 โ‚ฌ4,466
$7,161 โ‚ฌ6,094
-26.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,985 โ‚ฌ2,540
$5,021 โ‚ฌ4,273
-40.55%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,809 โ‚ฌ3,241
$2,462 โ‚ฌ2,095
54.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
3.39
8.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Villeurbanne: April 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,038 in Villeurbanne and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Villeurbanne pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58 in Villeurbanne vs $68 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $316, 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
Villeurbanne vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Villeurbanne and Barcelona?
Villeurbanne and Barcelona differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,131 vs $2,356 including rent). Villeurbanne is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Villeurbanne or Barcelona?
Villeurbanne pays 55% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Villeurbanne and Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,038 in Villeurbanne versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Villeurbanne and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $752 in Villeurbanne versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,131 in Villeurbanne versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Villeurbanne but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Villeurbanne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Villeurbanne and Barcelona?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Villeurbanne or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Villeurbanne 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.
Where should expats move: Villeurbanne or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Villeurbanne gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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