Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hawalli Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hawalli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,139 in Hawalli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,048 in Hawalli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,957 in Hawalli.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Hawalli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Hawalli is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.89 KWD 1.50

283.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$64.5 KWD 19.80

7.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.99 KWD 2.76

53.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.11 KWD 1.57

-39.33%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.45 KWD 0.14

528.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 KWD 0.10

506.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.64 KWD 0.50

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.48 KWD 0.45

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.93 KWD 0.59

-8.81%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.16 KWD 0.66

137.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$3.20 KWD 0.98

458.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.28 KWD 1.01

194.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$3.31 KWD 1.02

508.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.41 KWD 0.74

34.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.86 KWD 0.57

19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.88 KWD 0.58

38.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.54 KWD 0.47

79.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.37 KWD 0.42

61.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.48 KWD 0.45

43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.30 KWD 0.71

-32.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.54 KWD 0.17

75.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.73 KWD 0.84

168.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.84 KWD 0.26

270.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$48.12 KWD 14.77

-46.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.73 KWD 1.45

-30.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.18 KWD 0.98

-53.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$16.27 KWD 4.99

110.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.33 KWD 0.10

424.24%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$20.9K KWD 6,418

73.95%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.7K KWD 6,341

47.87%

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

$187 €163

$65.5 KWD 20.12

185.49%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$22.40 KWD 6.88

-32.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.88 KWD 7.94

45.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$64.2 KWD 19.72

-12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.32 KWD 3.48

0.80%

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

$997 €869

$299 KWD 91.9

232.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,316 KWD 2,860

77.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$32.64 KWD 10.02

183.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$39.76 KWD 12.21

3.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$97.1 KWD 29.81

14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$88.9 KWD 27.28

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$575 KWD 177

196.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$495 KWD 152

159.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$953 KWD 292

169.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$3,236 KWD 994

-39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,876 KWD 576

25.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.53

-51.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hawalli: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $575 in Hawalli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 25% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $64.0 in Hawalli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $145 per month, with Hawalli 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 Hawalli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hawalli differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,139 including rent). Hawalli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $575 in Hawalli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $299 in Hawalli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,139 in Hawalli versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hawalli but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hawalli 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 Hawalli 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 Hawalli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.