Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hurghada Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hurghada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $462 in Hurghada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $979 in Hurghada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,496 in Hurghada.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 436% more expensive than in Hurghada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Hurghada is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.00 E£209

368.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$38.68 E£2,017

79.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.66 E£295

143.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.93 E£101

60.62%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.48 E£24.80

489.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.17 E£8.74

1005.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.08 E£109

91.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.20 E£167

41.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.01 E£52.5

25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.58 E£30.37

272.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.61 E£31.93

188.52%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.89 E£98.6

171.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$2.94 E£153

508.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.63 E£294

71.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.48 E£494

112.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.44 E£75.0

125.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.50 E£25.82

346.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.45 E£23.40

477.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.39 E£20.46

607.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.35 E£18.24

531.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.40 E£20.86

430.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.27 E£14.08

474.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.19 E£9.91

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.19 E£114

235.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.35 E£384

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.26 E£65.6

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.75 E£91.1

59.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.16 E£8.35

1843.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$5.95 E£310

334.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.94 E£48.87

247.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.20 E£10.44

640.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.87 E£97.8

1732.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.42 E£21.84

311.90%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$32.1K E£1.7M

13.35%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$22.6K E£1.2M

35.06%

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

$187 €163

$25.63 E£1,337

629.93%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$7.99 E£417

89.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$9.40 E£490

300.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$26.65 E£1,390

109.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$6.44 E£336

165.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.42 E£178

233.63%

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

$997 €869

$99.6 E£5,194

900.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$591 E£30.8K

2696.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$20.43 E£1,065

353.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.79 E£1,762

21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$29.08 E£1,517

330.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$221 E£11.5K

671.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$119 E£6,186

984.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$245 E£12.8K

949.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$557 E£29.0K

248.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$544 E£28.3K

1306.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$605 E£31.6K

753.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$152 E£7,933

1443.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hurghada: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $221 in Hurghada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1444% 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 $39.00 in Hurghada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $135 per month, with Hurghada 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 Hurghada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hurghada differ by about 436% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $462 including rent). Hurghada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1444% 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 $221 in Hurghada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $99.6 in Hurghada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $462 in Hurghada versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hurghada but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hurghada 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 Hurghada 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 Hurghada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 436% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.