Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bulawayo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bulawayo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $768 in Bulawayo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,261 in Bulawayo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,753 in Bulawayo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than Bulawayo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Bulawayo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.55 ZWL 122

275.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$29.96 ZWL 802

131.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.59 ZWL 150

146.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.33 ZWL 62.3

18.45%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.52 ZWL 13.86

436.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.40 ZWL 10.74

397.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.70 ZWL 45.48

156.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.45 ZWL 65.6

93.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.55 ZWL 41.54

-16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.00 ZWL 26.83

105.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.80 ZWL 48.08

10.56%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.73 ZWL 46.23

95.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.40 ZWL 278

80.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.97 ZWL 106

135.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$4.44 ZWL 119

330.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.51 ZWL 40.54

78.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.52 ZWL 40.72

53.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.32 ZWL 62.2

-8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.09 ZWL 29.14

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.20 ZWL 32.15

64.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.40 ZWL 37.58

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.01 ZWL 27.08

43.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.01 ZWL 26.94

-14.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$1.52 ZWL 40.62

346.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$5.11 ZWL 137

54.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.54 ZWL 41.35

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.12 ZWL 56.7

11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.49 ZWL 13.08

495.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$29.43 ZWL 788

-2.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.97 ZWL 79.4

50.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.28 ZWL 60.9

-10.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$5.04 ZWL 135

486.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.69 ZWL 45.24

7.69%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

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

$33.1K €28.5K

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

$189 €163

$70.3 ZWL 1,880

169.37%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$18.25 ZWL 488

24.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$134 ZWL 3,579

-71.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$24.90 ZWL 667

131.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$9.93 ZWL 266

8.96%

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

$728 €628

$139 ZWL 3,728

422.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$21.94 ZWL 587

303.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$13.26 ZWL 355

177.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$69.2 ZWL 1,853

47.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$55.6 ZWL 1,488

108.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$186 ZWL 4,981

743.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$112 ZWL 3,000

987.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$473 ZWL 12.7K

491.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$411 ZWL 11.0K

380.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,131 ZWL 57.0K

263.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,044 ZWL 54.7K

153.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$296 ZWL 7,914

692.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $186 in Bulawayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 693% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Bulawayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $180 per month, with Bulawayo 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 Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bulawayo differ by about 204% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $768 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 693% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $186 in Bulawayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $139 in Bulawayo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $768 in Bulawayo versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bulawayo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bulawayo 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 Bulawayo 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 Bulawayo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.