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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $837 in Essaouira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,254 in Essaouira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,671 in Essaouira.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 177% more expensive than in Essaouira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Essaouira is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$4.36 MAD 40.68

305.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$25.14 MAD 234

177.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$4.97 MAD 46.37

184.91%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.76 MAD 16.37

59.09%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.46 MAD 4.26

510.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.26 MAD 2.41

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.79 MAD 35.36

21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.72 MAD 34.69

26.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.84 MAD 7.87

46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.49 MAD 4.57

314.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.65 MAD 15.43

20.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.81 MAD 16.90

92.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$9.24 MAD 86.1

98.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$5.29 MAD 49.31

85.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$11.42 MAD 107

67.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.42 MAD 13.21

92.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.22 MAD 11.42

95.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.72 MAD 6.69

188.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.88 MAD 8.22

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.70 MAD 6.52

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.91 MAD 8.48

96.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.39 MAD 3.66

279.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.53 MAD 4.97

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$4.15 MAD 38.66

71.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$6.45 MAD 60.1

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.93 MAD 18.03

-28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.20 MAD 20.52

8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.87 MAD 8.11

245.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$16.46 MAD 154

78.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.63 MAD 5.92

592.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.48 MAD 4.43

343.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.98 MAD 83.8

229.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.58 MAD 14.70

15.19%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$37.2K MAD 346.5K

1.96%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.1K MAD 196.4K

53.77%

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

$189 €165

$27.86 MAD 260

578.50%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$13.90 MAD 130

60.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$27.94 MAD 261

33.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$21.61 MAD 202

168.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$22.76 MAD 212

-9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.65 MAD 62.0

63.46%

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

$706 €618

$75.3 MAD 702

837.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,956 MAD 18.2K

659.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$30.88 MAD 288

189.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$39.68 MAD 370

-7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$49.28 MAD 460

111.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$44.34 MAD 413

169.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$388 MAD 3,617

307.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$346 MAD 3,229

257.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$813 MAD 7,584

233.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$559 MAD 5,209

265.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$268 MAD 2,498

782.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.5

-38.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $388 in Essaouira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 782% 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 $25.00 in Essaouira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $176 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 177% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $837 including rent). Essaouira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 782% 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 $388 in Essaouira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $75.3 in Essaouira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $837 in Essaouira versus $2,320 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 177% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.