Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Essaouira Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Essaouira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $816 in Essaouira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,214 in Essaouira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,613 in Essaouira.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 206% more expensive than in Essaouira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Essaouira is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$4.80 MAD 44.90

283.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$19.41 MAD 182

256.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$7.75 MAD 72.5

82.32%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$1.48 MAD 13.82

111.49%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.48 MAD 4.51

529.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.39 MAD 3.68

402.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.24 MAD 49.03

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.57 MAD 42.76

4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.90 MAD 8.45

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.51 MAD 4.81

323.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.82 MAD 17.01

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.69 MAD 15.80

191.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$8.60 MAD 80.5

107.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$6.26 MAD 58.5

53.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$10.96 MAD 103

76.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.31 MAD 12.29

147.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.18 MAD 11.04

84.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.69 MAD 6.43

286.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$0.80 MAD 7.50

246.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.57 MAD 5.37

287.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.72 MAD 6.75

204.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.36 MAD 3.38

322.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.61 MAD 5.73

50.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.98 MAD 37.24

78.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$6.56 MAD 61.3

24.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.83 MAD 17.13

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.20 MAD 20.54

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.88 MAD 8.24

257.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.66 MAD 6.20

392.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.64 MAD 5.96

134.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.50 MAD 14.04

16.67%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.5K MAD 331.7K

3.40%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$30.8K MAD 287.9K

0.54%

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

$188 €161

$25.43 MAD 238

637.83%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$18.07 MAD 169

-14.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$30.61 MAD 286

23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$5.49 MAD 51.4

110.93%

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

$1,003 €863

$71.3 MAD 667

1305.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$1,919 MAD 18.0K

786.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$30.05 MAD 281

196.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$45.60 MAD 427

-10.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$61.7 MAD 577

78.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$42.99 MAD 402

185.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$406 MAD 3,801

311.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$356 MAD 3,331

273.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$970 MAD 9,072

167.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$594 MAD 5,555

228.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$268 MAD 2,508

795.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.5

-51.38%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $406 in Essaouira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 796% 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 $19.00 in Essaouira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $177 per month, with Essaouira 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 Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Essaouira differ by about 206% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $816 including rent). Essaouira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 796% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $406 in Essaouira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $71.3 in Essaouira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Essaouira – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Essaouira versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Essaouira but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Essaouira 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 Essaouira 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 Essaouira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 206% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.