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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $451 in El Gouna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $710 in El Gouna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $970 in El Gouna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 425% more expensive than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, El Gouna is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.62 E£188

385.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$15.98 E£829

328.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.65 E£241

202.37%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.49 E£77.3

86.58%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.31 E£16.29

803.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.10 E£4.97

1960.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.22 E£63.2

265.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.87 E£149

60.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.86 E£44.84

44.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.62 E£32.10

227.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.67 E£34.67

186.57%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.38 E£71.7

139.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.44 E£179

435.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.26 E£221

122.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$8.77 E£455

118.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.48 E£77.0

78.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.53 E£27.66

362.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.42 E£21.97

404.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.39 E£20.40

630.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.38 E£19.56

436.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.43 E£22.34

330.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.22 E£11.39

568.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.18 E£9.40

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.98 E£103

260.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.45 E£335

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.25 E£64.7

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.85 E£96.0

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.19 E£9.67

1468.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.38 E£19.82

1110.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.31 E£16.35

567.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$2.03 E£105

1337.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.33 E£17.19

457.58%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.6K E£1.8M

9.70%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-1.54%

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

$188 €162

$12.03 E£624

1461.26%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$7.07 E£367

224.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$11.40 E£592

222.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$21.03 E£1,092

172.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$2.97 E£154

276.77%

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

$721 €621

$88.7 E£4,602

712.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,821 E£94.5K

726.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$27.94 E£1,450

208.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$44.19 E£2,294

-16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$109 E£5,678

-6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$51.2 E£2,659

126.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$188 E£9,760

715.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$98.7 E£5,124

1136.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$278 E£14.4K

870.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$156 E£8,074

1194.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$766 E£39.8K

842.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$492 E£25.5K

954.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in El Gouna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $123 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 425% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $451 including rent). El Gouna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $676 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $188 in El Gouna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $88.7 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $451 in El Gouna versus $2,367 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 425% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.