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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $462 in El Gouna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $730 in El Gouna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $998 in El Gouna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 403% more expensive than in El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, El Gouna is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.65 E£186

383.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$15.91 E£812

337.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.52 E£231

213.27%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.49 E£75.9

87.92%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.29 E£14.71

868.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.12 E£5.91

1616.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.27 E£64.8

262.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.05 E£156

53.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.91 E£46.61

35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.57 E£29.15

256.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.66 E£33.70

200.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.43 E£73.2

144.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$3.41 E£174

437.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.21 E£215

133.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$8.57 E£437

123.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.42 E£72.3

92.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.58 E£29.46

310.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.40 E£20.30

420.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.36 E£18.56

663.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.38 E£19.32

415.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.43 E£22.08

316.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.22 E£11.21

572.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.18 E£9.21

405.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$1.94 E£99.2

267.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.23 E£318

26.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.30 E£66.5

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.88 E£96.2

27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.20 E£10.01

1405.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.38 E£19.58

1047.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.31 E£16.01

587.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.04 E£104

1350.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.31 E£15.77

487.10%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$35.6K E£1.8M

6.56%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-3.09%

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

$189 €166

$11.78 E£602

1504.67%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$6.78 E£346

228.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$11.35 E£580

227.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$20.92 E£1,068

177.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$2.92 E£149

272.26%

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

$706 €618

$87.6 E£4,471

706.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,877 E£95.8K

692.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$27.44 E£1,401

225.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$45.10 E£2,302

-18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$109 E£5,582

-4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$51.4 E£2,625

132.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$192 E£9,795

722.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$101 E£5,146

1128.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$270 E£13.8K

902.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$158 E£8,085

1187.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$822 E£42.0K

815.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$498 E£25.4K

951.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.67

-79.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $192 in El Gouna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in El Gouna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $122 per month, with El Gouna 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 Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and El Gouna differ by about 403% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $462 including rent). El Gouna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $693 in El Gouna to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $192 in El Gouna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $87.6 in El Gouna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Gouna – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $462 in El Gouna versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Gouna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes El Gouna 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 Gouna 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 Gouna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 403% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.