Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kabwe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $652 in Kabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $965 in Kabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,278 in Kabwe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 262% more expensive than in Kabwe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kabwe is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.24 ZMW 135

136.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$24.49 ZMW 457

177.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.63 ZMW 67.6

275.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.93 ZMW 36.06

44.04%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.73 ZMW 13.66

286.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.33 ZMW 6.22

493.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.94 ZMW 17.58

371.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.76 ZMW 32.78

161.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.33 ZMW 24.89

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.78 ZMW 14.57

173.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.60 ZMW 29.92

24.37%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$0.95 ZMW 17.71

254.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.88 ZMW 147

140.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.99 ZMW 74.4

138.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$4.51 ZMW 84.1

315.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.52 ZMW 46.91

5.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.87 ZMW 16.16

170.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.66 ZMW 49.68

-21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.15 ZMW 21.47

137.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.87 ZMW 34.89

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.38 ZMW 25.72

31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.92 ZMW 17.20

64.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.51 ZMW 9.52

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.52 ZMW 47.09

169.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.60 ZMW 198

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.14 ZMW 21.27

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.52 ZMW 28.41

57.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.80 ZMW 52.2

63.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$9.09 ZMW 169

215.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.24 ZMW 23.14

46.77%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$8,130 ZMW 151.6K

383.61%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$28.0K ZMW 522.4K

15.95%

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

$187 €162

$92.7 ZMW 1,730

101.24%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$52.5 ZMW 980

-57.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$123 ZMW 2,297

-70.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.28 ZMW 79.9

151.64%

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

$725 €628

$174 ZMW 3,242

316.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$9,643 ZMW 179.8K

57.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$19.14 ZMW 357

359.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$17.04 ZMW 318

116.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$84.0 ZMW 1,567

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$74.2 ZMW 1,384

59.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-86.44%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Kabwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $171 per month, with Kabwe 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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kabwe differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $652 including rent). Kabwe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $977 in Kabwe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $174 in Kabwe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kabwe – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Kabwe versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kabwe but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kabwe 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 Kabwe 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 Kabwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.