Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Faiyum Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Faiyum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $444 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $725 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,006 in El Faiyum.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 423% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, El Faiyum is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.31 E£118

664.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$13.66 E£697

410.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.50 E£230

214.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.27 E£64.6

120.47%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.31 E£15.86

806.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.12 E£6.36

1616.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.22 E£62.1

277.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.03 E£155

54.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.75 E£38.51

64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.79 E£40.29

156.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.65 E£33.12

204.62%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.24 E£63.5

181.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$3.08 E£157

495.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.38 E£223

124.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.43 E£430

126.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.49 E£76.0

83.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.54 E£27.64

340.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.39 E£20.07

433.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.36 E£18.45

663.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.40 E£20.60

390.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.43 E£21.90

316.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.22 E£11.16

572.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.21 E£10.57

333.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.94 E£98.8

267.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.07 E£310

29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.36 E£69.3

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.30 E£118

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.07 E£3.40

4200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$6.00 E£306

389.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.45 E£23.11

868.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.29 E£14.62

634.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$1.03 E£52.3

2773.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.31 E£15.73

487.10%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.9K E£1.8M

8.53%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-2.49%

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

$189 €166

$11.47 E£585

1548.04%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$5.55 E£283

301.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$9.90 E£506

275.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$24.53 E£1,252

136.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$25.74 E£1,314

-19.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$2.31 E£118

370.56%

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

$706 €618

$25.21 E£1,287

2700.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$896 E£45.7K

1558.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$27.93 E£1,426

220.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$44.69 E£2,281

-18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$109 E£5,561

-4.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$47.32 E£2,416

152.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$183 E£9,342

762.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$86.5 E£4,414

1331.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$330 E£16.8K

722.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$182 E£9,288

1020.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$418 E£21.3K

1701.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$209 E£10.7K

2401.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$74.3 E£3,790

3083.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $183 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 3084% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $122 per month, with El Faiyum 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 El Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and El Faiyum differ by about 423% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $444 including rent). El Faiyum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3084% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $183 in El Faiyum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $25.21 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $444 in El Faiyum versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Faiyum but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes El Faiyum 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 El Faiyum 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 El Faiyum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 423% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.