Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fes Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,442 in Barcelona versus $686 in Fes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,414 in Barcelona versus $1,062 in Fes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,386 in Barcelona versus $1,438 in Fes.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 256% more expensive than in Fes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Fes is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.56 €16.09

$3.24 MAD 30.12

472.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.8

$32.76 MAD 305

113.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.70 €11.88

$6.39 MAD 59.4

114.40%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.69

$1.35 MAD 12.59

129.63%

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

$2.76 €2.39

$0.55 MAD 5.15

401.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.44 MAD 4.07

322.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.47

$3.65 MAD 33.98

9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.07

$4.31 MAD 40.11

8.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.82 MAD 7.61

51.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.61 MAD 5.64

249.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.87 MAD 17.38

-2.67%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.45

$1.90 MAD 17.68

170.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.51

$10.47 MAD 97.3

59.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 €8.22

$4.65 MAD 43.20

103.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €16.70

$9.44 MAD 87.7

103.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.66

$1.93 MAD 17.90

59.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.31 MAD 12.21

67.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$0.80 MAD 7.44

205.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.51

$0.96 MAD 8.94

201.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$0.79 MAD 7.31

179.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.97 MAD 9.02

134.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.47 MAD 4.35

229.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$0.61 MAD 5.71

40.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.34

$4.52 MAD 42.03

61.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$4.68 MAD 43.48

71.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$2.82 MAD 26.23

-45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.23

$3.29 MAD 30.56

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 €2.71

$0.45 MAD 4.18

595.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 €22.67

$10.70 MAD 99.5

144.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.90

$0.66 MAD 6.12

406.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.62

$0.78 MAD 7.21

139.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 €29.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.48 MAD 13.81

15.54%

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

$37.0K €32.1K

$36.1K MAD 335.8K

2.51%

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

$30.8K €26.8K

$35.5K MAD 330.5K

-13.22%

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

$180 €156

$34.50 MAD 321

422.03%

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

$16.25 €14.10

$10.47 MAD 97.4

55.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.47 €32.49

$37.62 MAD 350

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €47.07

$27.12 MAD 252

100.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 €14.56

$19.57 MAD 182

-14.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.14

$5.21 MAD 48.44

124.38%

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

$949 €823

$97.9 MAD 910

869.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,620 MAD 61.6K

146.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 €74.1

$19.63 MAD 183

335.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.53

$55.2 MAD 513

-27.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.6

$87.3 MAD 811

25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$58.2 MAD 542

112.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 €1,455

$326 MAD 3,035

414.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,120

$189 MAD 1,758

582.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,624 €2,276

$574 MAD 5,334

357.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 €1,654

$253 MAD 2,354

653.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,775 €6,742

$762 MAD 7,087

920.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,316 €4,610

$354 MAD 3,292

1401.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,126

$504 MAD 4,683

386.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

-37.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 9, 2026

Last update for Fes: August 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,678 in Barcelona and $326 in Fes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 387% 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 $33.00 in Fes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $181 per month, with Fes 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 Fes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fes differ by about 256% in total monthly costs ($2,442 vs $686 including rent). Fes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 387% 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: $1,678 in Barcelona versus $326 in Fes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $949 in Barcelona versus $97.9 in Fes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $686 in Fes versus $2,442 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fes but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fes 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 Fes 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 Fes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.