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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,249 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,165 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 86% more expensive than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Ar-rawdah is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$11.29 KWD 3.47

65.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$63.7 KWD 19.58

9.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$9.04 KWD 2.78

52.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 KWD 1.50

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.30 KWD 1.63

-41.51%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.71 KWD 0.22

298.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 KWD 0.10

506.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.60 KWD 0.49

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.53 KWD 0.47

41.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.00 KWD 0.61

-12.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.07 KWD 0.64

147.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$4.35 KWD 1.34

311.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.83 KWD 2.10

41.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$10.45 KWD 3.21

92.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.44 KWD 0.75

33.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.94 KWD 0.59

14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.81 KWD 0.56

43.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.50 KWD 0.46

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.39 KWD 0.43

58.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.48 KWD 0.45

43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.38 KWD 0.73

-34.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.60 KWD 0.18

58.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.80 KWD 0.86

162.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.82 KWD 0.25

279.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.82 KWD 1.48

-32.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.19 KWD 0.98

-53.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$16.00 KWD 4.92

114.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.33 KWD 0.10

424.24%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.1K KWD 6,487

72.29%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.4K KWD 6,255

50.05%

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

$187 €163

$66.2 KWD 20.33

182.73%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$22.53 KWD 6.92

-32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$29.99 KWD 9.21

25.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$102 KWD 31.20

-44.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$11.47 KWD 3.52

-0.52%

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

$997 €868

$300 KWD 92.2

232.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,436 KWD 2,900

75.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$37.81 KWD 11.62

144.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$39.84 KWD 12.24

3.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$99.8 KWD 30.66

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$88.9 KWD 27.32

40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$737 KWD 226

131.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$545 KWD 167

136.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,847 KWD 567

38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$1,320 KWD 406

47.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,642 KWD 505

214.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.53

-51.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $737 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $64.0 in Ar-rawdah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $189 per month, with Ar-rawdah cheaper across the board.

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 86% 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 $3,714 in Barcelona and $2,000 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $737 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,476 per month in Barcelona versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,333 in Ar-rawdah versus $2,476 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 $1,333 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 86% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.