Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Chingola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Chingola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $428 in Chingola.

Barcelona $2,381
Chingola $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $731 in Chingola.

Barcelona $3,406
Chingola $731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $1,033 in Chingola.

Barcelona $4,431
Chingola $1,033

Living in Barcelona is roughly 456% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Chingola is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$15.26 ZMW 304

17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$25.50 ZMW 507

159.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$3.07 €2.73

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

490.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

424.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

534.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

274.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

-26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

-26.21%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

151.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$5.11 ZMW 102

81.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

337.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

52.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

31.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

44.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

-28.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

39.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

350.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

57.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

124.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

237.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

148.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$10.17 ZMW 202

226.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

38.81%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

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

$183 €163

$49.29 ZMW 980

270.79%

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

$13.61 €12.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$9.97 ZMW 198

448.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$20.29 ZMW 404

324.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$12.36 ZMW 246

216.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

106.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

56.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

-66.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$112 ZMW 2,223

1892.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 1892% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $163 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

210,073

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Chingola 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Chingola

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chingola differ by about 456% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $428 including rent). Chingola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1892% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Barcelona versus $428 in Chingola – a 456% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $428 in Chingola versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola 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 Chingola 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 Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 456% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.