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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $435 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $732 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in El Faiyum.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 444% more expensive than El Faiyum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, El Faiyum is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.31 E£120

661.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$13.75 E£712

397.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.70 E£243

199.15%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.24 E£64.2

124.19%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.31 E£16.30

803.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.10 E£5.06

1960.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.16 E£60.2

284.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.02 E£157

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.72 E£37.20

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.78 E£40.39

160.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.66 E£34.02

190.91%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.19 E£61.8

178.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$2.95 E£153

524.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.46 E£231

112.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$8.21 E£425

133.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.49 E£77.3

77.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.54 E£27.94

353.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.43 E£22.05

393.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.36 E£18.78

691.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.38 E£19.59

436.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.43 E£22.21

330.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.24 E£12.45

512.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.17 E£8.73

394.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.02 E£104

253.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$5.66 E£293

39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.34 E£69.4

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.29 E£119

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.06 E£2.89

4866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$6.09 E£316

380.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.42 E£21.95

995.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.29 E£14.89

613.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$0.94 E£48.90

3004.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.33 E£17.34

457.58%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.7K E£1.8M

9.40%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-0.90%

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

$188 €162

$11.20 E£580

1576.96%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$5.75 E£297

298.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$9.96 E£515

268.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$25.46 E£1,318

125.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$25.58 E£1,324

-19.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$2.39 E£124

368.20%

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

$721 €621

$25.66 E£1,328

2709.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$879 E£45.5K

1610.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.77 E£1,438

210.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$44.38 E£2,298

-16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$107 E£5,552

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$47.03 E£2,435

146.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$188 E£9,732

715.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$85.5 E£4,424

1328.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$327 E£17.0K

723.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$185 E£9,574

988.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$411 E£21.3K

1654.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$201 E£10.4K

2479.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$70.6 E£3,654

3243.18%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $188 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 3243% 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 $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $120 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 444% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $435 including rent). El Faiyum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 3243% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $188 in El Faiyum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $25.66 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 165% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $435 in El Faiyum versus $2,367 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 444% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.