Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al `alamayn Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al `alamayn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $483 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $758 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $1,033 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 383% more expensive than Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Al `alamayn is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.92

$5.96 E£314

192.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.7

$13.66 E£719

411.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.89

$4.05 E£213

243.46%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$0.93 E£49.16

194.62%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$0.35 E£18.15

671.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.11 E£5.78

1745.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$1.16 E£61.0

288.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.00 E£158

53.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.99 E£52.3

29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$0.29 E£15.01

624.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$0.58 E£30.60

243.10%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$1.48 E£78.0

133.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.91

$2.41 E£127

672.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.05

$4.34 E£228

116.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.99

$7.55 E£397

147.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$1.34 E£70.5

94.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$0.56 E£29.51

326.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.87

$0.47 E£24.93

365.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$0.27 E£14.34

940.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.33 E£17.19

515.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.44 E£23.24

325.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.34 E£17.79

326.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.23 E£12.11

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.83

$1.92 E£101

255.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.59

$4.27 E£225

80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.36 E£71.6

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.80 E£94.9

29.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$0.16 E£8.56

1700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.38 E£20.22

1065.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.83

$0.29 E£15.04

637.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.76

$0.98 E£51.5

2855.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.32 E£16.94

493.75%

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

$37.9K €32.4K

$35.5K E£1.9M

6.61%

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

$33.3K €28.5K

$33.1K E£1.7M

0.59%

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

$186 €159

$24.46 E£1,287

658.99%

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

$22.17 €18.96

$9.84 E£518

125.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.22

$15.91 E£837

129.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.92

$21.99 E£1,157

165.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.74

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.49

$2.91 E£153

281.44%

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

$705 €603

$32.53 E£1,711

2066.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,841 E£96.8K

726.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.9

$17.98 E£946

380.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.54

$43.35 E£2,280

-14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.0

$114 E£6,000

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.7

$75.0 E£3,943

53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,315

$191 E£10.0K

707.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,062

$98.6 E£5,188

1159.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,333

$309 E£16.2K

784.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,720

$181 E£9,515

1012.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,118

$819 E£43.1K

773.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,141

$462 E£24.3K

947.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,115

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-83.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Barcelona vs $14 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $111 per month, with Al `alamayn 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 Al `alamayn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `alamayn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 383% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,504 in Barcelona and $725 in Al `alamayn 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 187% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,336 per month in Barcelona versus $483 in Al `alamayn – a 383% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $483 in Al `alamayn versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al `alamayn but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al `alamayn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al `alamayn 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 Al `alamayn 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 `alamayn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 383% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.