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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $784 in Bulawayo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,259 in Bulawayo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,734 in Bulawayo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 201% more expensive than in Bulawayo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Bulawayo is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$4.39 ZWL 117

290.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$29.52 ZWL 789

130.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$5.34 ZWL 143

155.43%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.32 ZWL 62.0

19.83%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.48 ZWL 12.88

487.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.43 ZWL 11.49

355.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$1.80 ZWL 48.01

146.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.47 ZWL 66.0

86.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.56 ZWL 41.80

-18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.00 ZWL 26.81

113.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.78 ZWL 47.60

11.80%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$1.75 ZWL 46.85

92.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$10.45 ZWL 279

81.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$3.84 ZWL 103

148.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$4.42 ZWL 118

323.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.46 ZWL 39.11

81.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.47 ZWL 39.32

59.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.23 ZWL 59.6

-6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.12 ZWL 29.90

143.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.15 ZWL 30.70

70.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.36 ZWL 36.29

33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

54.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.01 ZWL 26.93

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$1.54 ZWL 41.02

340.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$5.07 ZWL 135

56.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.53 ZWL 41.00

-10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.19 ZWL 58.5

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.51 ZWL 13.68

470.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$30.34 ZWL 811

-5.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.23 ZWL 59.5

-8.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$4.96 ZWL 133

479.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.66 ZWL 44.42

9.64%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

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

$32.5K €28.3K

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

$187 €163

$72.5 ZWL 1,936

157.56%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$18.00 ZWL 481

23.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$135 ZWL 3,618

-73.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$24.96 ZWL 667

130.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$10.17 ZWL 272

5.90%

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

$725 €632

$140 ZWL 3,734

418.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$21.40 ZWL 572

310.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$13.10 ZWL 350

180.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$69.7 ZWL 1,862

48.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$55.3 ZWL 1,478

114.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$183 ZWL 4,881

734.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$109 ZWL 2,904

1028.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$473 ZWL 12.6K

476.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$420 ZWL 11.2K

372.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,089 ZWL 55.8K

257.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$2,041 ZWL 54.5K

156.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$294 ZWL 7,865

712.87%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $183 in Bulawayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 713% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Bulawayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $179 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 201% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $784 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 713% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $183 in Bulawayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $140 in Bulawayo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Bulawayo versus $2,359 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 201% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.