Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-jahra' and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-jahra' and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,314 in Al-jahra' versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,258 in Al-jahra' versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,201 in Al-jahra' versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Al-jahra' costs roughly 47% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-jahra' is 5% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 KWD 3.94

$18.42 €15.88

-30.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 KWD 19.80

$69.4 €59.8

-6.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.08 KWD 2.79

$14.05 €12.11

-35.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 KWD 1.52

Cappuccino

$5.28 KWD 1.62

$3.11 €2.68

69.77%

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

$0.72 KWD 0.22

$2.96 €2.55

-75.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 KWD 0.11

$1.95 €1.69

-81.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$1.32 €1.14

21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$2.11 €1.82

-27.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.58

$1.83 €1.57

3.83%

Eggs

$2.16 KWD 0.66

$5.16 €4.45

-58.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 KWD 1.37

$17.56 €15.14

-74.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 KWD 2.03

$9.50 €8.19

-30.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 KWD 3.13

$19.93 €17.18

-48.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 KWD 0.78

$3.17 €2.73

-19.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 KWD 0.57

$2.21 €1.91

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 KWD 0.55

$2.61 €2.25

-30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$2.85 €2.46

-45.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

$2.17 €1.87

-36.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$2.11 €1.81

-32.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 KWD 0.71

$1.62 €1.39

42.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 KWD 0.17

$0.88 €0.76

-38.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 KWD 0.82

$7.17 €6.18

-62.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$3.14 €2.70

-75.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 KWD 1.46

$3.22 €2.78

47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 KWD 1.00

$1.51 €1.30

116.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 KWD 4.95

$35.26 €30.39

-54.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.75 €1.51

-81.14%

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

$21.4K KWD 6,567

$36.7K €31.6K

-41.58%

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

$20.1K KWD 6,161

$31.7K €27.3K

-36.55%

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

$19.70 KWD 6.04

$187 €161

-89.47%

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

$22.97 KWD 7.04

$15.10 €13.01

52.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.62 KWD 9.39

$37.60 €32.41

-18.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.4 KWD 29.55

$55.5 €47.83

73.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 KWD 3.53

$11.71 €10.09

-1.71%

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

$306 KWD 93.9

$1,011 €871

-69.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,349 KWD 2,866

$17.1K €14.7K

-45.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.59 KWD 11.53

$91.4 €78.8

-58.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 KWD 12.12

$41.00 €35.34

-3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 KWD 29.99

$111 €95.3

-11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 KWD 27.29

$126 €109

-29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 KWD 222

$1,704 €1,469

-57.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 KWD 176

$1,299 €1,120

-55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 KWD 536

$2,588 €2,231

-32.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 KWD 416

$1,929 €1,663

-29.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,986 KWD 915

$2,374 €2,046

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.16

106.65%

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

Last update for Al-jahra': September 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $723 in Al-jahra' and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-jahra' pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Al-jahra' vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $333 per month, with Al-jahra' 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

Al-jahra' vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-jahra' is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Al-jahra', 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: $723 in Al-jahra' versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Al-jahra' versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-jahra' – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,314 in Al-jahra' versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-jahra' but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al-jahra' the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-jahra' is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al-jahra' 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 Al-jahra' gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.