Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Homs

For one person, living is cheaper in Homs: $524 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Homs, Syria
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Homs
🇸🇾 Syria
$524
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Homs

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Homs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $524 in Homs.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Homs $524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $791 in Homs.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Homs $791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,058 in Homs.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Homs $1,058

Living in Barcelona is roughly 368% more expensive than in Homs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Homs is 62% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$3.09 SYP 375
469.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$11.94 SYP 1,450
465.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$6.80 SYP 827
98.97%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$0.56 SYP 68.6
469.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$2.18 SYP 265
33.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.52 SYP 63.4
263.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$1.95 SYP 237
105.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$4.05 SYP 492
11.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.78 SYP 94.9
67.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.41 SYP 50.2
392.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.58 SYP 192
17.09%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$1.56 SYP 190
209.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$3.95 SYP 480
323.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$5.82 SYP 708
56.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$12.19 SYP 1,481
61.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$0.56 SYP 68.2
432.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.43 SYP 174
41.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$0.62 SYP 75.3
335.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$0.34 SYP 40.71
723.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.54 SYP 65.9
287.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$0.82 SYP 99.3
152.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.29 SYP 35.70
403.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.66 SYP 79.9
42.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$1.49 SYP 181
361.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$3.80 SYP 461
107.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.71 SYP 86.5
98.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$2.96 SYP 360
-14.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.20 SYP 24.77
1470.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$14.82 SYP 1,801
71.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$1.01 SYP 123
196.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.47 SYP 179
1.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$2.05 SYP 250
1527.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.23 SYP 150
46.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$12.9K SYP 1.6M
157.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$19.1K SYP 2.3M
65.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$91.3 SYP 11.1K
97.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$9.40 SYP 1,142
47.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$46.45 SYP 5,643
-27.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$10.20 SYP 1,239
405.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$5.36 SYP 651
105.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$54.5 SYP 6,627
1580.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$897 SYP 109.0K
1737.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$5.02 SYP 610
1633.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$19.65 SYP 2,388
95.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$60.9 SYP 7,393
73.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$30.64 SYP 3,723
290.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$127 SYP 15.4K
1237.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$52.0 SYP 6,318
2506.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$345 SYP 41.9K
654.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$137 SYP 16.7K
1404.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Homs
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$73.3 SYP 8,904
2916.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
14.25
-76.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Homs: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Homs
$52 96.2% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Homs
$147 54.3% $175
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Homs
$81 69.9% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Homs
$147 35.4% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Homs
$52 66.9% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Homs
$21 71.6% $53
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Homs
$24 50.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $127 in Homs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 30 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $12 in Homs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $147 per month, with Homs cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇸🇾 Homs
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
21:48 9:48 PM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
652,609
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 135 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.39 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Homs 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Homs

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Homs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Homs?
Barcelona and Homs differ by about 368% in total monthly costs ($2,453 vs $524 including rent). Homs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Homs?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 30 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Homs?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $127 in Homs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Homs?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $55 in Homs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $524 in Homs versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Homs but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Homs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Homs?
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.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Homs?
Expats usually find Homs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?