Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gharb Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gharb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,018 in Gharb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,004 in Gharb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,991 in Gharb.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than Gharb, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Gharb 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$20.02 €17.14

-12.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

-0.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$11.74 €10.05

17.12%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.74 €2.35

0.73%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.62 €2.24

6.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.09 €1.79

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$4.93 €4.22

-6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.06 €4.33

-9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.36 €1.16

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.56 €1.34

35.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.56 €3.04

-44.66%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.79 €3.24

-9.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$10.13 €8.67

85.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$10.98 €9.40

-13.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.96 €11.95

36.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.32 €2.84

-18.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.99 €1.70

19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.87 €2.46

-27.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.30 €2.82

-16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.85 €1.58

6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.87 €2.45

-37.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.94 €1.66

-22.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.30 €1.11

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.53 €5.59

3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.05 €5.18

24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.31 €1.98

-37.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.83 €1.57

31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.69 €2.30

12.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$8.15 €6.97

-45.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.95 €1.67

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$34.25 €29.31

-14.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.58 €1.35

19.62%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.6K €22.8K

45.60%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$40.6K €34.8K

-20.31%

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

$189 €161

$167 €143

13.09%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$30.36 €25.99

-26.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$33.19 €28.41

10.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$65.3 €55.9

-11.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$22.69 €19.42

-7.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$15.08 €12.91

-26.72%

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

$726 €622

$264 €226

175.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$12.8K €11.0K

18.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$104 €88.8

-14.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$38.20 €32.70

-3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$147 €126

-30.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$100 €85.6

19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$1,144 €979

33.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$944 €808

29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$2,012 €1,722

38.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,522 €1,303

33.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,566 €3,053

98.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,689 €2,302

80.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.43

-37.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gharb: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,144 in Gharb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Gharb. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $304, with Gharb cheaper for home cooking.

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 Gharb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gharb differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,018 including rent). Gharb is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $3,026 in Gharb to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,144 in Gharb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $264 in Gharb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $2,018 in Gharb versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gharb but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gharb 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 Gharb 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 Gharb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.