Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villeurbanne and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Villeurbanne: $1,940 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Villeurbanne
🇫🇷 France
$1,940
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Villeurbanne and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Villeurbanne and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,940 in Villeurbanne versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Villeurbanne $1,940
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,822 in Villeurbanne versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Villeurbanne $2,822
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,704 in Villeurbanne versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Villeurbanne $3,704
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Villeurbanne costs roughly 19% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Villeurbanne 44% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.54 €14.71
$17.94 €15.96
-7.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.1 €58.8
$68.1 €60.5
-2.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.45 €11.96
$13.28 €11.81
1.28%
Cappuccino
$4.11 €3.66
$3.25 €2.89
26.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.01 €2.67
-7.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.87 €1.66
-8.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.86 €6.99
$3.85 €3.42
104.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 €5.45
$4.48 €3.98
36.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.29 €1.15
-3.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.04 €1.81
-16.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.47 €2.19
$1.72 €1.53
43.60%
Eggs
$4.80 €4.27
$4.77 €4.24
0.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.69 €20.19
$16.77 €14.92
35.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.13 €10.79
$8.93 €7.94
35.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.09 €20.54
$19.88 €17.68
16.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.98 €2.65
-21.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.03 €1.80
23.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.83 €2.52
$2.73 €2.43
3.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 €2.70
$2.68 €2.38
13.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.30
$2.10 €1.87
22.86%
Onion (1kg)
$3.01 €2.67
$2.08 €1.85
44.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.45 €1.29
-2.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.89 €0.79
-6.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.45 €11.96
$6.94 €6.17
93.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.79 €6.93
$7.78 €6.92
0.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.42
$1.45 €1.29
88.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 €2.85
$2.57 €2.29
24.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.06
$2.99 €2.66
-22.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.6 €71.7
$25.20 €22.41
219.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.83 €2.52
$3.12 €2.77
-9.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.24 €2.00
$1.44 €1.28
55.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.58 €36.98
$33.50 €29.80
24.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.79 €1.59
21.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €31.0K
$34.6K €30.8K
0.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K €30.7K
$30.1K €26.7K
14.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$232 €206
$178 €158
30.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.46 €16.42
$13.32 €11.85
38.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.22 €31.33
$34.88 €31.03
0.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.65 €31.71
$53.3 €47.37
-33.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.01 €14.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.31 €12.73
$11.06 €9.84
29.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$633 €563
$957 €851
-33.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.2K
$16.6K €14.7K
-30.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.2
$88.2 €78.4
22.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.18 €38.41
$39.49 €35.12
9.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.0
$103 €91.5
2.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$121 €108
2.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 €899
$1,653 €1,470
-38.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$649 €577
$1,302 €1,158
-50.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,136 €1,010
$2,557 €2,275
-55.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$882 €784
$1,915 €1,703
-53.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,919 €3,486
$7,286 €6,481
-46.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,017 €2,684
$5,080 €4,519
-40.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Villeurbanne
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,178 €3,716
$2,281 €2,029
83.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.77
3.28
14.94%

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

Last update for Villeurbanne: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Villeurbanne
$649
Barcelona
$1.3K 101% $653
Groceries & Markets
Villeurbanne
$375
Barcelona
$320 14.6% $55
Eating Out
Villeurbanne
$291
Barcelona
$270 7.4% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villeurbanne
$286
Barcelona
$226 20.8% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Villeurbanne
$171
Barcelona
$158 7.6% $13
Getting Around
Villeurbanne
$104
Barcelona
$47 54.3% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Villeurbanne
$64
Barcelona
$75 17.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,011 in Villeurbanne and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Villeurbanne pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Villeurbanne vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Villeurbanne
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
08:26 8:26 AM
08:26 8:26 AM
Same time as Villeurbanne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
156,928
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Villeurbanne Barcelona 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Villeurbanne
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 in Barcelona?
Villeurbanne and Barcelona differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,940 vs $2,399 including rent). Villeurbanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Villeurbanne or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 83% higher in Villeurbanne, 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 in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,011 in Villeurbanne versus $1,653 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 $633 in Villeurbanne versus $957 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 17% 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 $1,940 in Villeurbanne versus $2,399 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 – 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 – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Villeurbanne vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?