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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $464 in El Gouna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $731 in El Gouna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $997 in El Gouna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 434% more expensive than in El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, El Gouna is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$3.64 E£189

414.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$15.72 E£819

341.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$4.72 E£246

191.74%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.47 E£76.6

110.88%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$0.29 E£14.93

875.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.10 E£5.13

1780.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.21 E£62.9

228.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$3.02 E£157

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.93 E£48.24

36.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.57 E£29.87

278.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.66 E£34.25

166.67%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.45 E£75.6

253.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$3.31 E£173

440.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$4.16 E£217

131.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$8.67 E£451

132.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$1.49 E£77.6

118.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.54 E£28.06

312.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$0.40 E£20.72

550.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.40 E£20.61

590.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$0.38 E£19.76

481.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$0.40 E£20.99

430.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.24 E£12.55

545.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.17 E£8.98

458.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$1.90 E£99.0

286.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$6.51 E£339

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.26 E£65.7

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.79 E£93.2

55.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.21 E£11.08

1380.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.38 E£19.81

760.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.31 E£16.16

377.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$1.97 E£102

1639.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.33 E£17.27

424.24%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$35.1K E£1.8M

3.65%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.7K E£1.8M

-9.27%

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

$187 €163

$11.76 E£613

1490.82%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$6.87 E£358

120.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$11.12 E£579

238.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$20.53 E£1,069

172.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$3.00 E£156

280.33%

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

$997 €867

$90.2 E£4,695

1005.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,832 E£95.4K

802.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$27.60 E£1,437

235.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$44.67 E£2,326

-7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$109 E£5,698

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$51.2 E£2,664

144.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$190 E£9,878

800.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$98.7 E£5,138

1203.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$271 E£14.1K

848.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$155 E£8,048

1156.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$803 E£41.8K

852.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$500 E£26.0K

933.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

16.67

-81.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $190 in El Gouna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in El Gouna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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 434% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $464 including rent). El Gouna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $696 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $190 in El Gouna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $90.2 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $464 in El Gouna versus $2,476 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 434% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.