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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $747 in Bulawayo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,184 in Bulawayo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,620 in Bulawayo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 232% more expensive than in Bulawayo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Bulawayo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$4.42 ZWL 118

316.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$29.78 ZWL 794

132.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$4.89 ZWL 130

187.32%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.15 ZWL 57.4

44.65%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.48 ZWL 12.66

516.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.40 ZWL 10.59

387.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.48 ZWL 39.48

169.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.03 ZWL 54.1

127.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.59 ZWL 42.42

-16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.02 ZWL 27.05

106.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.53 ZWL 40.76

19.61%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

173.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$9.46 ZWL 252

85.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$3.99 ZWL 106

138.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$4.46 ZWL 119

346.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.85 ZWL 49.31

71.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.60 ZWL 42.76

38.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.48 ZWL 66.2

5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.00 ZWL 26.70

185.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.21 ZWL 32.36

79.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.44 ZWL 38.33

46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.10 ZWL 29.32

47.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.79 ZWL 21.13

11.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$1.46 ZWL 38.85

391.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.14 ZWL 137

62.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.40 ZWL 37.30

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.92 ZWL 51.1

43.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.73 ZWL 19.49

330.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$29.64 ZWL 790

-11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.04 ZWL 81.1

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.02 ZWL 54.0

-25.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$4.89 ZWL 130

621.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.63 ZWL 43.34

7.36%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$25.0K ZWL 667.5K

46.38%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$24.5K ZWL 653.1K

29.23%

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

$187 €161

$96.4 ZWL 2,569

94.09%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$17.81 ZWL 475

-15.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$110 ZWL 2,922

-65.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$30.91 ZWL 824

79.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$19.91 ZWL 531

-15.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$9.92 ZWL 264

18.04%

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

$1,011 €871

$231 ZWL 6,168

336.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$3,519 ZWL 93.8K

385.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$21.48 ZWL 572

325.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$11.53 ZWL 307

255.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$45.41 ZWL 1,210

143.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$58.1 ZWL 1,549

116.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$174 ZWL 4,646

877.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$109 ZWL 2,915

1088.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$404 ZWL 10.8K

539.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$319 ZWL 8,514

503.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,069 ZWL 55.1K

273.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,009 ZWL 53.5K

168.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$302 ZWL 8,045

686.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-78.93%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $174 in Bulawayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 686% 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 $333 vs $177 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 232% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $747 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 686% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $174 in Bulawayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $231 in Bulawayo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Bulawayo versus $2,482 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 232% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.