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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $651 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $967 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,282 in El Jadida.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 281% more expensive than in El Jadida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, El Jadida is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$2.87 MAD 27.01

541.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$21.20 MAD 199

227.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$6.21 MAD 58.4

126.25%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.59 MAD 14.96

95.60%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.47 MAD 4.43

529.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.29 MAD 2.68

572.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.79 MAD 26.24

43.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.63 MAD 24.67

75.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.96 MAD 9.01

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.42 MAD 3.92

402.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.97 MAD 18.53

-7.11%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.94 MAD 18.19

165.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$6.56 MAD 61.6

167.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$4.20 MAD 39.49

126.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$8.20 MAD 77.0

143.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.59 MAD 14.94

99.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.47 MAD 13.84

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.72 MAD 6.74

262.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.67 MAD 6.32

325.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.69 MAD 6.46

214.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.48 MAD 4.48

339.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.33 MAD 3.14

390.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.54 MAD 5.07

62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.98 MAD 37.44

80.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$4.15 MAD 38.99

100.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.61 MAD 24.52

-42.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.02 MAD 28.42

-8.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.47 MAD 4.38

568.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$17.20 MAD 162

52.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.08 MAD 10.17

198.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.09 MAD 10.25

38.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$5.46 MAD 51.3

545.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.56 MAD 14.65

12.18%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

5.10%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$31.2K MAD 293.1K

1.55%

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

$187 €161

$29.29 MAD 275

538.85%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$10.52 MAD 98.9

43.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$32.46 MAD 305

15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$29.84 MAD 280

85.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$12.61 MAD 118

32.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.58 MAD 61.8

77.96%

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

$1,011 €871

$116 MAD 1,086

774.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$3,239 MAD 30.4K

426.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$28.85 MAD 271

216.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$37.71 MAD 354

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$66.7 MAD 627

65.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$74.0 MAD 695

70.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$211 MAD 1,987

705.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$173 MAD 1,624

652.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$369 MAD 3,465

601.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$237 MAD 2,227

714.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,570 MAD 14.8K

392.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$818 MAD 7,688

558.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$482 MAD 4,530

392.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.5

-42.55%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $211 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 392% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $156 per month, with El Jadida 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 Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and El Jadida differ by about 281% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $651 including rent). El Jadida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 392% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $211 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $116 in El Jadida. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $651 in El Jadida versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Jadida but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes El Jadida 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 Jadida 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 Jadida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.