Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alexandria Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Alexandria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $884 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,450 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,015 in Alexandria.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 168% more expensive than Alexandria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Alexandria is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.32 JMD 1,147

140.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$61.7 JMD 9,669

10.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.78 JMD 1,376

60.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.40 JMD 689

-36.82%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.36 JMD 213

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.72 JMD 112

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.43 JMD 380

83.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.05 JMD 478

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$4.24 JMD 665

-70.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.62 JMD 568

-43.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.55 JMD 243

23.87%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.46 JMD 543

-4.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.89 JMD 1,706

69.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.30 JMD 988

50.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.49 JMD 1,174

155.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$6.05 JMD 948

-56.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.02 JMD 473

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$4.15 JMD 650

-48.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.06 JMD 480

-6.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.10 JMD 329

-2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.93 JMD 303

-4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$3.11 JMD 488

-52.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.49 JMD 234

-43.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$8.69 JMD 1,361

-17.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$11.55 JMD 1,809

-31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.85 JMD 447

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.05 JMD 478

-24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.12 JMD 175

310.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.20 JMD 501

-35.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.11 JMD 957

377.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.23 JMD 192

49.59%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$43.3K JMD 6.8M

-9.88%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

-0.94%

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

$188 €162

$161 JMD 25.3K

16.51%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$22.32 JMD 3,497

2.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$51.2 JMD 8,016

-28.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$13.40 JMD 2,100

-16.49%

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

$721 €620

$229 JMD 35.9K

214.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$2,485 JMD 389.3K

505.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$25.84 JMD 4,049

233.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$25.62 JMD 4,014

44.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$71.5 JMD 11.2K

42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$76.2 JMD 11.9K

52.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.15

-62.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Alexandria. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $350, with Barcelona 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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Alexandria differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $884 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,326 in Alexandria 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.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $229 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $884 in Alexandria versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.