Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gaborone Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gaborone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $826 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,328 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,830 in Gaborone.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 186% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Gaborone is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.27 P 96.3

135.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$29.63 P 392

129.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.03 P 79.8

126.20%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.20 P 29.08

26.36%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.84 P 11.10

235.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.51 P 6.69

284.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.25 P 29.81

96.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.93 P 38.82

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.42 P 18.78

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.88 P 11.62

142.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.78 P 23.52

11.80%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.36 P 31.30

42.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.34 P 97.2

158.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.03 P 66.7

89.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$5.60 P 74.2

234.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.82 P 24.15

45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.44 P 19.04

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.92 P 25.43

8.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.61 P 21.35

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.46 P 19.32

34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.21 P 15.96

49.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.14 P 15.14

32.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.91 P 12.04

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.60 P 47.62

88.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.10 P 54.3

93.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.65 P 21.88

-16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.18 P 28.89

10.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.50 P 6.56

482.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$30.13 P 399

-4.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.57 P 7.55

703.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.68 P 35.52

-23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.03 P 40.08

847.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.14 P 15.09

59.65%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.7K P 301.1K

72.88%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.1K P 226.2K

90.10%

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

$187 €162

$70.5 P 934

164.61%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$26.17 P 346

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$78.6 P 1,041

-53.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$32.61 P 432

76.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.67 P 194

41.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.80 P 90.1

58.38%

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

$725 €628

$181 P 2,400

299.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,912 P 51.8K

287.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$42.18 P 558

108.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$24.24 P 321

51.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$75.1 P 994

37.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$97.5 P 1,291

21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$245 P 3,244

521.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$143 P 1,893

757.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$536 P 7,101

408.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$339 P 4,492

484.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,021 P 26.8K

269.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,273 P 16.9K

311.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$442 P 5,848

441.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.12

-62.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $245 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 442% 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 $30.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $180 per month, with Gaborone 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 Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gaborone differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $826 including rent). Gaborone is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 442% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $245 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $181 in Gaborone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Gaborone versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone 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 Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.