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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $810 in Essaouira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,226 in Essaouira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,642 in Essaouira.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 192% more expensive than Essaouira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Essaouira is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.34 MAD 39.86

305.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.74 MAD 227

176.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.99 MAD 45.88

181.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.84 MAD 16.91

51.09%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.45 MAD 4.13

522.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.26 MAD 2.36

692.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.85 MAD 35.40

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.57 MAD 32.83

29.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.85 MAD 7.80

45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.53 MAD 4.90

283.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.69 MAD 15.57

13.61%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.80 MAD 16.52

83.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.59 MAD 88.1

92.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.34 MAD 49.08

77.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.51 MAD 106

66.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.37 MAD 12.55

92.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.27 MAD 11.70

92.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.72 MAD 6.59

194.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.93 MAD 8.56

206.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.69 MAD 6.36

195.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.92 MAD 8.47

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.39 MAD 3.60

276.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 MAD 4.92

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.07 MAD 37.43

75.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.61 MAD 60.8

19.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.93 MAD 17.76

-28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.16 MAD 19.83

6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.90 MAD 8.25

231.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$16.40 MAD 151

78.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.68 MAD 6.26

576.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.51 MAD 4.72

305.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.69 MAD 79.8

235.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.58 MAD 14.54

16.46%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$37.6K MAD 345.7K

3.71%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.0K MAD 193.3K

55.43%

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

$188 €162

$28.04 MAD 258

569.83%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.82 MAD 127

65.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$28.65 MAD 263

28.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$22.11 MAD 203

159.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$23.63 MAD 217

-12.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.71 MAD 61.7

66.77%

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

$721 €620

$75.6 MAD 695

853.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,990 MAD 18.3K

655.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$31.43 MAD 289

174.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$39.79 MAD 366

-6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$48.84 MAD 449

108.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$44.20 MAD 406

162.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$388 MAD 3,563

295.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$345 MAD 3,173

253.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$795 MAD 7,308

238.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$545 MAD 5,011

269.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$268 MAD 2,462

780.53%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $388 in Essaouira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 781% 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 $25.00 in Essaouira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $179 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 192% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $810 including rent). Essaouira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 781% 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 $388 in Essaouira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $75.6 in Essaouira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $810 in Essaouira versus $2,367 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 192% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.