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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $664 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $986 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,307 in El Jadida.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 249% more expensive than in El Jadida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, El Jadida is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$3.85 MAD 35.91

358.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$19.90 MAD 186

250.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$6.75 MAD 62.9

109.78%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.52 MAD 14.15

84.21%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.43 MAD 4.03

553.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.32 MAD 2.98

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.76 MAD 25.78

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.24 MAD 30.23

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.88 MAD 8.21

39.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.47 MAD 4.39

331.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.85 MAD 17.21

7.03%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.86 MAD 17.38

87.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$5.07 MAD 47.25

261.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$3.84 MAD 35.83

155.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$7.92 MAD 73.8

141.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.58 MAD 14.74

72.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.27 MAD 11.83

87.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.76 MAD 7.04

173.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.80 MAD 7.46

243.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.79 MAD 7.38

148.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.49 MAD 4.61

265.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.33 MAD 3.10

348.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.60 MAD 5.63

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$4.03 MAD 37.58

76.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$4.42 MAD 41.17

78.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.41 MAD 22.52

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.93 MAD 27.34

-18.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.50 MAD 4.69

502.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$25.83 MAD 241

13.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.07 MAD 10.00

307.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.49 MAD 4.56

334.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$3.32 MAD 30.94

791.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.53 MAD 14.26

18.95%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$32.9K MAD 307.2K

15.01%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$30.0K MAD 280.0K

7.85%

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

$189 €165

$31.73 MAD 296

495.75%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$10.91 MAD 102

104.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$33.07 MAD 308

12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$27.23 MAD 254

113.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$17.78 MAD 166

16.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.68 MAD 62.3

62.72%

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

$706 €618

$89.2 MAD 832

691.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$2,638 MAD 24.6K

463.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$40.04 MAD 373

123.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$41.07 MAD 383

-10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$66.4 MAD 619

56.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$60.2 MAD 561

98.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$231 MAD 2,155

583.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$173 MAD 1,613

615.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$390 MAD 3,633

596.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$250 MAD 2,334

714.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,597 MAD 14.9K

371.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$822 MAD 7,661

537.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$473 MAD 4,411

399.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-32.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $231 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 400% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $20.00 in El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $148 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 249% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $664 including rent). El Jadida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 400% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $231 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $89.2 in El Jadida. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $664 in El Jadida versus $2,320 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 249% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.