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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $647 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $978 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,310 in El Jadida.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 266% more expensive than El Jadida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, El Jadida is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.78 MAD 34.84

365.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$19.61 MAD 181

249.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.69 MAD 61.6

110.16%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.52 MAD 13.98

82.89%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.46 MAD 4.25

508.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.32 MAD 2.93

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.83 MAD 26.07

57.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.21 MAD 29.54

43.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.84 MAD 7.76

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.44 MAD 4.03

361.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.76 MAD 16.24

9.09%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.78 MAD 16.41

85.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$4.88 MAD 44.96

277.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.87 MAD 35.59

145.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$8.18 MAD 75.3

134.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.56 MAD 14.38

69.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.28 MAD 11.78

91.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.72 MAD 6.60

194.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.78 MAD 7.18

265.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.74 MAD 6.80

175.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.50 MAD 4.62

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.33 MAD 3.05

345.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 MAD 5.21

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.18 MAD 38.52

70.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$4.47 MAD 41.11

76.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.38 MAD 21.87

-42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.93 MAD 27.01

-21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.51 MAD 4.70

484.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$26.35 MAD 243

11.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.08 MAD 9.92

325.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.48 MAD 4.44

331.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$3.33 MAD 30.65

776.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.51 MAD 13.93

21.85%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.5K MAD 299.3K

20.02%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$30.1K MAD 276.8K

8.76%

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

$188 €162

$32.07 MAD 295

485.66%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$11.03 MAD 102

107.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$32.95 MAD 303

11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$27.12 MAD 250

111.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$17.45 MAD 161

18.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.59 MAD 60.7

69.80%

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

$721 €621

$88.7 MAD 816

713.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$2,576 MAD 23.7K

483.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$40.67 MAD 374

111.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$40.56 MAD 373

-8.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$68.4 MAD 629

49.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$61.3 MAD 564

89.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$223 MAD 2,056

586.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$173 MAD 1,595

604.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$380 MAD 3,499

609.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$242 MAD 2,229

731.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,660 MAD 15.3K

334.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$840 MAD 7,735

517.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$486 MAD 4,471

385.81%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $223 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 386% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $20.00 in El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $146 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 266% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $647 including rent). El Jadida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 386% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $223 in El Jadida. 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 Jadida. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $647 in El Jadida versus $2,367 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 266% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.