Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elmina Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elmina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $694 in Elmina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,166 in Elmina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,637 in Elmina.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 257% more expensive than in Elmina, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Elmina is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$7.90 GHS 90.7

137.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$51.6 GHS 592

34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.81 GHS 124

27.38%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.55 GHS 52.3

-31.87%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.57 GHS 18.06

80.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.49 GHS 5.63

283.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.92 GHS 22.07

107.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.23 GHS 25.62

103.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.76 GHS 43.18

-66.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.71 GHS 19.67

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.22 GHS 37.02

-45.34%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.73 GHS 31.31

87.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.35 GHS 142

44.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.34 GHS 84.2

31.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.24 GHS 118

96.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.62 GHS 41.57

-10.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.46 GHS 16.76

52.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.85 GHS 21.28

40.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.69 GHS 42.41

-25.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.78 GHS 31.92

-20.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.76 GHS 31.69

-23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.76 GHS 8.76

103.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.61 GHS 7.02

55.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.64 GHS 30.35

178.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.01 GHS 80.5

14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.25 GHS 14.36

23.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.43 GHS 27.86

14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.73 GHS 19.85

89.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.27 GHS 14.59

16.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$4.43 GHS 50.8

673.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.33 GHS 15.21

30.08%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$7,904 GHS 90.7K

360.15%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$9,840 GHS 113.0K

210.39%

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

$187 €163

$75.0 GHS 861

149.34%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$19.51 GHS 224

-22.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$43.08 GHS 495

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.27 GHS 152

-14.02%

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

$997 €869

$471 GHS 5,411

111.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$18.8K GHS 215.5K

-11.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$14.30 GHS 164

547.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$18.72 GHS 215

120.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$36.81 GHS 423

202.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$54.3 GHS 623

130.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

26.75

-88.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Elmina: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $52.0 in Elmina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $285 per month, with Elmina 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 Elmina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Elmina differ by about 257% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $694 including rent). Elmina 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 $1,041 in Elmina 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.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $471 in Elmina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elmina – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $694 in Elmina versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elmina but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Elmina 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 Elmina 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 Elmina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.