Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $173 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Derna

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 Derna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $173 in Derna.

Barcelona $2,453
Derna $173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $335 in Derna.

Barcelona $3,509
Derna $335

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $497 in Derna.

Barcelona $4,564
Derna $497

Living in Barcelona is roughly 1319% more expensive than in Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Derna is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$3.79 LYD 24.33

364.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$7.79 LYD 49.95

766.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$3.14 LYD 20.12

330.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.80

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$0.49 LYD 3.13

551.02%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$0.32 LYD 2.08

809.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.73 LYD 4.66

79.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.38 LYD 15.29

-22.27%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$0.90 LYD 5.76

436.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$3.18 LYD 20.41

186.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$0.80 LYD 5.13

152.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$0.91 LYD 5.87

196.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$0.74 LYD 4.75

304.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

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

$33.2K €29.7K

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

$31.7K €28.4K

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

$180 €162

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

$13.84 €12.40

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$13.96 LYD 89.6

141.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

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

$917 €821

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$31.77 LYD 204

173.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$38.45 LYD 247

0.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$38.87 LYD 249

172.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$38.67 LYD 248

209.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$156 LYD 1,000

1570.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$91.9 LYD 590

2143.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$195 LYD 1,250

3448.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$76.7 LYD 492

6585.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$168 LYD 1,078

1215.25%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays about 13 times 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $8 in Derna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $45 per month, with Derna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

50,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Derna 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Derna

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $173 in Derna, so Derna is about 93% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Barcelona is about 13 times higher, 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 Derna – a meal for two runs $8 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $173 in Derna – Derna is about 93% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $173 in Derna versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $800 budget is realistic in Derna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Derna 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.

It comes down to priorities – Derna wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.