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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $579 in Kabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $932 in Kabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,286 in Kabwe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 328% more expensive than in Kabwe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kabwe is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$5.75 ZMW 113

225.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$31.62 ZMW 620

119.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$5.07 ZMW 99.4

171.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.90 ZMW 56.8

6.90%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.79 ZMW 15.56

258.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.51 ZMW 9.91

268.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.31 ZMW 25.63

203.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$2.38 ZMW 46.73

90.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.74 ZMW 34.10

-27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.25 ZMW 24.59

72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.10 ZMW 41.11

-16.19%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.20 ZMW 23.44

327.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$10.72 ZMW 210

66.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$6.63 ZMW 130

45.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$6.55 ZMW 128

207.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.38 ZMW 66.3

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.05 ZMW 20.65

112.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$3.65 ZMW 71.5

-28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.62 ZMW 31.81

70.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.70 ZMW 52.8

-18.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.90 ZMW 37.31

11.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.14 ZMW 22.34

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.82 ZMW 16.05

15.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$3.13 ZMW 61.4

134.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$10.18 ZMW 200

-20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.45 ZMW 28.52

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.33 ZMW 45.76

19.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.53 ZMW 49.52

29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.52 ZMW 29.81

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$5.31 ZMW 104

545.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.40 ZMW 27.42

23.57%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$7,757 ZMW 152.0K

368.84%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.7K ZMW 542.3K

10.39%

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

$187 €163

$82.0 ZMW 1,608

128.09%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$10.60 ZMW 208

42.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$57.2 ZMW 1,121

-34.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$6.13 ZMW 120

86.13%

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

$997 €867

$140 ZMW 2,742

612.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$16.9K ZMW 330.7K

-2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$23.73 ZMW 465

290.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$15.98 ZMW 313

157.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$45.64 ZMW 894

143.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$73.8 ZMW 1,446

69.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-89.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Kabwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $233 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 328% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $579 including rent). Kabwe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $869 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 $997 in Barcelona versus $140 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 $32.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Kabwe versus $2,476 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 328% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.