Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ait Melloul Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ait Melloul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $673 in Ait Melloul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,062 in Ait Melloul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,450 in Ait Melloul.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 247% more expensive than Ait Melloul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Ait Melloul is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.81

$4.42 MAD 40.86

286.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.1

$25.47 MAD 236

171.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$7.11 MAD 65.7

93.81%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$2.13 MAD 19.68

29.58%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$0.63 MAD 5.80

342.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.33 MAD 3.02

503.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.79

$3.78 MAD 34.96

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$3.70 MAD 34.19

28.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$0.94 MAD 8.73

37.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.50 MAD 4.60

310.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.63 MAD 15.08

22.09%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$1.88 MAD 17.43

80.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$9.50 MAD 87.9

98.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$5.08 MAD 46.96

84.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.58

$11.13 MAD 103

71.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.43 MAD 13.20

88.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.27 MAD 11.76

84.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.90 MAD 8.36

135.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$0.83 MAD 7.65

243.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.74 MAD 6.83

166.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.79 MAD 7.33

127.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.39 MAD 3.61

271.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.63 MAD 5.86

36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$4.04 MAD 37.40

67.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$7.13 MAD 65.9

10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.71 MAD 25.07

-48.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.92 MAD 27.05

-18.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.51 MAD 4.70

472.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.88

$16.18 MAD 150

77.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$0.67 MAD 6.22

565.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.52 MAD 4.85

294.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.62

$5.40 MAD 49.97

447.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.59 MAD 14.71

14.47%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$36.9K MAD 341.3K

5.22%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$20.4K MAD 189.0K

62.02%

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

$189 €164

$28.46 MAD 263

564.90%

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

$22.80 €19.77

$10.82 MAD 100

110.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.60

$28.00 MAD 259

34.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$24.12 MAD 223

139.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$22.92 MAD 212

-9.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.39

$6.76 MAD 62.5

60.06%

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

$728 €632

$75.7 MAD 701

861.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$1,959 MAD 18.1K

654.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.9

$43.21 MAD 400

105.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.96

$39.80 MAD 368

-7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$47.57 MAD 440

114.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$47.11 MAD 436

146.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,361

$280 MAD 2,588

460.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,057

$174 MAD 1,612

599.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,424

$513 MAD 4,747

444.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,713

$311 MAD 2,873

535.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,724

$1,591 MAD 14.7K

387.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,489

$947 MAD 8,763

446.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,032

$376 MAD 3,481

522.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.75

-28.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $280 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 523% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Ait Melloul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $185 per month, with Ait Melloul 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

Barcelona vs Ait Melloul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 247% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Barcelona pays 523% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $280 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $75.7 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $673 in Ait Melloul versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ait Melloul but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ait Melloul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ait Melloul 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, Barcelona and Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.