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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $524 in Hurghada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $993 in Hurghada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,462 in Hurghada.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 347% more expensive than Hurghada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Hurghada is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.02 E£213

338.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$39.54 E£2,096

73.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.07 E£322

126.52%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.60 E£84.7

72.50%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.37 E£19.73

651.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.14 E£7.45

1364.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.94 E£103

137.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.70 E£143

70.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.93 E£49.46

37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.61 E£32.34

245.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.03 E£54.4

91.26%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.18 E£115

57.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$3.43 E£182

448.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.50 E£345

45.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.69 E£514

96.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.32 E£69.9

106.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.46 E£24.53

415.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.39 E£20.93

433.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.60 E£31.99

360.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.47 E£24.65

319.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.58 E£30.65

208.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.30 E£16.02

403.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.17 E£9.24

429.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.00 E£106

238.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.35 E£390

2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.22 E£64.9

18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.77 E£93.8

36.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.10 E£5.51

2930.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.42 E£22.22

954.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.20 E£10.81

925.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$1.96 E£104

1396.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.35 E£18.80

440.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$17.9K E£951.1K

115.92%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$33.5K E£1.8M

-3.28%

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

$189 €161

$26.30 E£1,394

617.07%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$8.35 E£443

165.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$12.73 E£675

189.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$27.31 E£1,448

112.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$6.94 E£368

202.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.40 E£180

225.00%

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

$726 €622

$97.5 E£5,168

645.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$581 E£30.8K

2518.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$11.17 E£592

690.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$19.94 E£1,057

85.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$107 E£5,670

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$51.5 E£2,730

131.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$257 E£13.6K

493.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$128 E£6,802

849.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$261 E£13.8K

970.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$448 E£23.8K

352.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$554 E£29.4K

1181.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$637 E£33.8K

661.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$155 E£8,202

1453.76%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hurghada: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $257 in Hurghada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1454% 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 $40.00 in Hurghada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $144 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 347% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $524 including rent). Hurghada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1454% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $257 in Hurghada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $97.5 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 $40.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Hurghada versus $2,341 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 347% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.