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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,014 in Gharb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,073 in Gharb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $4,133 in Gharb.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 17% more expensive than in Gharb, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Gharb 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$20.64 €17.87

-16.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$68.3 €59.2

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$11.42 €9.89

19.44%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.77 €2.40

0.36%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.61 €2.26

8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.97 €1.71

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$4.74 €4.10

-6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$5.06 €4.39

-8.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.31 €1.13

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.52 €1.32

40.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.53 €3.06

-43.63%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.72 €3.23

-9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.73 €8.42

94.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$10.92 €9.46

-12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.88 €12.02

34.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.36 €2.91

-21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.04 €1.77

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.85 €2.47

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.31 €2.87

-17.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.85 €1.60

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.85 €2.47

-36.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.93 €1.67

-21.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.29 €1.12

-31.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.58 €5.70

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$5.90 €5.11

34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.27 €1.97

-39.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.78 €1.54

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.70 €2.33

7.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$8.14 €7.05

-43.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.93 €1.67

5.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$34.22 €29.63

-16.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.52 €1.31

19.74%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.0K €22.5K

51.42%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$40.7K €35.2K

-20.19%

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

$187 €162

$168 €145

11.34%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$30.35 €26.28

-26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$32.72 €28.34

11.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$64.2 €55.6

-10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$23.38 €20.25

-11.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$15.05 €13.03

-28.44%

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

$725 €628

$258 €224

180.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$12.9K €11.2K

17.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$101 €87.3

-12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$38.91 €33.70

-5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$142 €123

-27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$102 €88.2

16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,115 €965

36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$935 €810

31.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,957 €1,695

39.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,479 €1,280

34.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,398 €2,943

119.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$3,192 €2,765

64.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gharb: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,115 in Gharb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Gharb. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $301, 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 17% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,014 including rent). Gharb is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $3,021 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,115 in Gharb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $258 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 $68.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,014 in Gharb versus $2,359 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 17% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.