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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $894 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,431 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,967 in Alexandria.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 159% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Alexandria is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.64 JMD 1,206

131.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$63.5 JMD 10.0K

9.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.82 JMD 1,392

60.54%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.31 JMD 679

-35.03%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.30 JMD 206

116.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.70 JMD 111

194.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.46 JMD 388

86.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.15 JMD 497

48.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$4.20 JMD 663

-70.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.63 JMD 573

-44.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.62 JMD 255

22.22%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.57 JMD 563

-2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$11.13 JMD 1,756

64.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.31 JMD 995

55.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.49 JMD 1,182

155.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$6.16 JMD 972

-55.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.09 JMD 488

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.27 JMD 674

-51.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.95 JMD 465

-6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.10 JMD 332

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.93 JMD 305

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.00 JMD 474

-50.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.45 JMD 229

-37.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$8.85 JMD 1,396

-19.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.40 JMD 1,799

-30.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.81 JMD 443

-50.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.20 JMD 505

-25.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.08 JMD 171

303.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.21 JMD 507

-33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.11 JMD 963

384.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.23 JMD 194

47.97%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-13.36%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-4.12%

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

$189 €166

$162 JMD 25.5K

16.81%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$21.86 JMD 3,449

1.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$50.5 JMD 7,960

-26.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$13.21 JMD 2,084

-17.71%

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

$706 €618

$227 JMD 35.9K

210.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,437 JMD 384.6K

509.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$25.71 JMD 4,057

247.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$26.05 JMD 4,111

40.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$72.1 JMD 11.4K

44.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$76.1 JMD 12.0K

56.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $64.0 in Alexandria. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $351, 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 159% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $894 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,342 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 $706 in Barcelona versus $227 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 $64.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $894 in Alexandria versus $2,320 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 159% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.