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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $539 in Hurghada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,008 in Hurghada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,477 in Hurghada.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 338% more expensive than in Hurghada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Hurghada is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.88

$4.04 E£206

324.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.1

$38.81 E£1,980

75.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.84

$5.97 E£305

128.48%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.64 E£83.8

69.51%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$0.37 E£19.10

662.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.14 E£6.99

1300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.04 E£104

117.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.61 E£133

76.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.95 E£48.32

33.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.61 E£31.27

249.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.05 E£53.7

89.52%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.10 E£107

60.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.45

$3.40 E£174

457.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.27

$6.58 E£335

44.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.25

$9.81 E£501

90.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$1.37 E£70.2

93.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.46 E£23.60

410.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.43 E£21.91

386.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.61 E£31.11

347.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.50 E£25.66

292.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.55 E£28.02

229.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.28 E£14.24

439.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.16 E£8.27

456.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.88

$1.95 E£99.5

247.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.87

$7.66 E£391

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.21 E£61.5

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.84 E£93.8

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.11 E£5.38

2545.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.97

$0.41 E£21.06

1017.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.20 E£10.37

920.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.91

$1.95 E£99.4

1372.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.35 E£17.94

420.00%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$17.6K E£898.5K

123.25%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$33.7K E£1.7M

-3.75%

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

$187 €162

$25.72 E£1,312

625.62%

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

$22.29 €19.34

$8.69 E£443

156.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.55

$12.88 E£657

182.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.91

$26.87 E£1,371

114.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.99

$7.00 E£357

196.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.34

$3.35 E£171

221.49%

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

$725 €629

$98.1 E£5,004

639.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$584 E£29.8K

2496.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.2

$11.18 E£570

685.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.94

$19.49 E£994

88.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.7

$108 E£5,529

-4.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$49.78 E£2,540

138.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,322

$264 E£13.5K

477.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,064

$133 E£6,778

823.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,366

$259 E£13.2K

951.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,721

$440 E£22.4K

351.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,480

$558 E£28.4K

1239.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,549

$639 E£32.6K

720.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,076

$161 E£8,203

1388.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hurghada: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $264 in Hurghada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1388% 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: $68.0 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 338% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $539 including rent). Hurghada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1388% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $264 in Hurghada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $98.1 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $539 in Hurghada versus $2,359 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 338% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.