Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al-qardahah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Al-qardahah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,476 per month in Barcelona vs $640 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,545 per month in Barcelona vs $1,016 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,613 per month in Barcelona vs $1,393 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Barcelona costs about 287% more than Al-qardahah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Barcelona sits 81% above the global median, while Al-qardahah is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$9.83 SYP 1,194

90.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$44.94 SYP 5,460

54.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$6.86 SYP 833

100.73%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.79 SYP 460

-18.21%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$2.29 SYP 278

23.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.87 SYP 106

116.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.92 SYP 233

107.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$3.06 SYP 372

48.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.09 SYP 133

16.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.42 SYP 51.0

414.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.64 SYP 200

7.32%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.57 SYP 191

226.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$3.87 SYP 471

362.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$5.69 SYP 691

69.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$13.55 SYP 1,647

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.02 SYP 124

218.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.41 SYP 172

58.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$1.09 SYP 132

138.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.03 SYP 125

167.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.75 SYP 91.6

194.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.79 SYP 96.2

168.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.40 SYP 48.87

287.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.61 SYP 74.2

55.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$2.82 SYP 343

160.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$6.07 SYP 737

32.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.10 SYP 134

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.91 SYP 354

-4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.02 SYP 124

220.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.54 SYP 187

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$7.84 SYP 953

337.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$3.67 SYP 446

-52.86%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

145.74%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$19.0K SYP 2.3M

60.46%

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

$187 €163

$137 SYP 16.7K

36.33%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$9.45 SYP 1,148

60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$45.65 SYP 5,547

-17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$5.40 SYP 656

111.30%

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

$997 €867

$66.7 SYP 8,108

1393.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,806 SYP 219.5K

815.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$28.38 SYP 3,449

226.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$40.11 SYP 4,873

2.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$60.0 SYP 7,288

85.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$57.9 SYP 7,032

116.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

14.25

-77.82%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Barcelona versus $45.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $168 – making Al-qardahah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-qardahah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Barcelona is pricier by about 287%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,714 per month in Barcelona and $960 in Al-qardahah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Barcelona and $45.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Barcelona, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-qardahah, where all-in costs run around $640, than in Barcelona at $2,476. In Al-qardahah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-qardahah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-qardahah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.