Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Isa Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Isa Town: $747 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Isa Town

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Isa Town

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 Isa Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $747 in Isa Town.

Barcelona $2,381
Isa Town $747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $1,771 in Isa Town.

Barcelona $3,406
Isa Town $1,771

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $2,794 in Isa Town.

Barcelona $4,431
Isa Town $2,794

Living in Barcelona is roughly 219% more expensive than in Isa Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Isa Town is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$8.00 BHD 3.02

123.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$26.34 BHD 9.94

151.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$6.48 BHD 2.45

111.27%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.59 BHD 1.73

-33.33%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$0.90 BHD 0.34

241.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.27 BHD 0.10

618.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$6.63 BHD 2.50

-41.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.36 BHD 0.51

-4.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.35 BHD 0.51

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$5.19 BHD 1.96

-64.74%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$3.16 BHD 1.19

46.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$10.39 BHD 3.92

67.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$8.00 BHD 3.02

16.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$21.52 BHD 8.12

-7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.68 BHD 1.01

12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.71 BHD 1.02

-25.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.58 BHD 0.97

2.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.60 BHD 0.98

10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.69 BHD 1.01

-19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.57 BHD 0.59

36.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$0.55 BHD 0.21

167.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.08 BHD 0.41

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$1.03 BHD 0.39

182.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$13.28 BHD 5.01

91.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$5.38 BHD 2.03

-44.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.76 BHD 0.29

144.74%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$13.3K BHD 5,002

139.19%

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

$183 €163

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

$13.61 €12.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$39.36 BHD 14.86

-16.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$105 BHD 39.50

-47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$10.53 BHD 3.97

6.65%

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$8,078 BHD 3,049

105.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$39.42 BHD 14.88

118.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$13.07 BHD 4.93

199.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$79.2 BHD 29.89

30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$107 BHD 40.37

10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$1,308 BHD 493

96.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$1,067 BHD 403

80.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

$1,078 BHD 407

106.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Isa Town: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Isa Town

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Isa Town

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Isa Town

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Isa Town

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Isa Town

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Isa Town

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Isa Town

–

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 107% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Isa Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $276 per month, with Isa Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇧🇭 Isa Town

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

36,876

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Barcelona Isa Town 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Isa Town

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 Isa Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Isa Town differ by about 219% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $747 including rent). Isa Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Isa Town – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Isa Town runs roughly 92% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $747 in Isa Town versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Isa Town but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Isa Town 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 Isa Town 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 Isa Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 219% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.