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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,421 in Al-jahra'.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,427 in Al-jahra'.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,433 in Al-jahra'.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 66% more expensive than in Al-jahra', driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Al-jahra' 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$9.56 KWD 2.97

79.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$82.1 KWD 25.48

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$9.05 KWD 2.81

50.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 KWD 1.17

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$5.84 KWD 1.81

-52.40%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.64 KWD 0.20

340.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.35 KWD 0.11

460.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.55 KWD 0.48

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.30 KWD 0.40

63.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.72 KWD 0.53

15.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.01 KWD 0.62

67.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$5.14 KWD 1.59

268.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$6.31 KWD 1.96

51.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$10.50 KWD 3.26

78.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.42 KWD 0.75

9.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.92 KWD 0.59

22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.74 KWD 0.54

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.50 KWD 0.47

82.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.22 KWD 0.38

60.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.25 KWD 0.39

44.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.67 KWD 0.52

-9.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.49 KWD 0.15

81.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 KWD 0.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$3.03 KWD 0.94

123.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.89 KWD 0.28

226.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$44.79 KWD 13.90

-36.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$3.21 KWD 1.00

42.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$3.29 KWD 1.02

-37.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$16.07 KWD 4.99

78.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.36 KWD 0.11

405.56%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$21.6K KWD 6,699

82.12%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$19.8K KWD 6,130

64.40%

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

$187 €163

$20.26 KWD 6.29

821.17%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$18.72 KWD 5.81

19.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$26.17 KWD 8.12

38.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$199 KWD 61.6

-71.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$46.59 KWD 14.46

-55.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$11.37 KWD 3.53

-5.28%

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

$725 €632

$399 KWD 124

81.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$6,597 KWD 2,047

129.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$42.96 KWD 13.33

104.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$43.11 KWD 13.38

-14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$86.6 KWD 26.86

19.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$80.7 KWD 25.04

46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$784 KWD 243

94.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$603 KWD 187

103.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$1,589 KWD 493

71.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$1,273 KWD 395

55.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$2,915 KWD 904

-17.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.14

-52.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al-jahra': July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $784 in Al-jahra'. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-jahra' pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Al-jahra'. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $179, with Al-jahra' 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

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

Al-jahra' is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Al-jahra'. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $784 in Al-jahra'. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $399 in Al-jahra'. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,421 in Al-jahra' versus $2,359 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, Barcelona and Al-jahra' 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 66% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.