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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $537 in Hurghada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,021 in Hurghada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,504 in Hurghada.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 335% more expensive than Hurghada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Hurghada is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.06 E£207

320.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$38.83 E£1,983

78.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.77 E£295

138.82%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.62 E£82.6

70.37%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.37 E£18.99

654.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.15 E£7.44

1226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.99 E£102

119.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.63 E£134

80.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.01 E£51.8

27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.61 E£31.12

236.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.03 E£52.4

93.20%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.09 E£107

62.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$3.48 E£178

440.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.43 E£328

45.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.90 E£505

93.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.36 E£69.7

98.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.43 E£22.01

444.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.42 E£21.62

404.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.62 E£31.41

359.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.50 E£25.64

294.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.59 E£30.01

205.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.30 E£15.33

383.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.21 E£10.48

309.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$1.94 E£98.9

249.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.41 E£378

6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.21 E£61.9

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.85 E£94.4

28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.09 E£4.37

3144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.39 E£19.71

1043.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.17 E£8.80

1105.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.04 E£104

1348.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.33 E£16.62

451.52%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$17.8K E£910.5K

117.80%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$33.8K E£1.7M

-2.12%

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

$189 €163

$25.71 E£1,313

636.02%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$8.52 E£435

167.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$12.87 E£657

192.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$26.80 E£1,369

115.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$6.97 E£356

197.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.48 E£178

210.92%

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

$728 €628

$99.5 E£5,083

631.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$593 E£30.3K

2391.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$11.23 E£573

689.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$19.93 E£1,018

84.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$108 E£5,536

-5.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$49.70 E£2,538

133.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$263 E£13.4K

496.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$133 E£6,803

814.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$262 E£13.4K

968.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$451 E£23.1K

337.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$541 E£27.6K

1334.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$605 E£30.9K

755.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$152 E£7,747

1444.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.67

-79.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hurghada: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $263 in Hurghada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1445% 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 $319 vs $146 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 335% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $537 including rent). Hurghada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1445% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $263 in Hurghada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $99.5 in Hurghada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hurghada – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $537 in Hurghada versus $2,337 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 335% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.