Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ar-rawdah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ar-rawdah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,370 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,342 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,314 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 73% more expensive than Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Ar-rawdah 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$10.06 KWD 3.09

74.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$83.0 KWD 25.45

-17.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.92 KWD 2.74

57.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 KWD 1.13

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.91 KWD 1.81

-52.96%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.68 KWD 0.21

311.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.35 KWD 0.11

488.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.56 KWD 0.48

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.28 KWD 0.39

58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.80 KWD 0.55

6.67%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.08 KWD 0.64

59.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$5.24 KWD 1.61

251.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.52 KWD 2.00

45.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.39 KWD 3.19

84.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.39 KWD 0.73

10.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.91 KWD 0.58

28.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.74 KWD 0.53

21.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.49 KWD 0.46

91.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.28 KWD 0.39

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.33 KWD 0.41

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.70 KWD 0.52

-13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.46 KWD 0.14

82.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.99 KWD 0.92

138.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.90 KWD 0.27

231.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$43.42 KWD 13.32

-32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.28 KWD 1.01

40.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.22 KWD 0.99

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$16.51 KWD 5.06

76.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.34 KWD 0.10

441.18%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.8K KWD 6,390

87.26%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.7K KWD 6,038

66.09%

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

$188 €162

$63.2 KWD 19.38

197.28%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$18.75 KWD 5.75

22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$26.29 KWD 8.06

39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$95.4 KWD 29.25

-39.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$46.47 KWD 14.25

-55.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.63 KWD 3.57

-3.78%

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

$721 €620

$408 KWD 125

76.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,537 KWD 2,005

130.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$42.11 KWD 12.91

104.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$41.99 KWD 12.88

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$89.0 KWD 27.30

14.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$81.0 KWD 24.84

43.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$784 KWD 240

95.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$601 KWD 184

103.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,548 KWD 475

74.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,293 KWD 397

55.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,593 KWD 489

225.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $784 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $83.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $180, with Ar-rawdah 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 Ar-rawdah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rawdah wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ar-rawdah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $2,055 in Ar-rawdah 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $784 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ar-rawdah – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,370 in Ar-rawdah versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rawdah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rawdah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ar-rawdah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,370 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ar-rawdah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Ar-rawdah 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 Ar-rawdah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.