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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $648 in Kabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $955 in Kabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,263 in Kabwe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 270% more expensive than Kabwe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Kabwe is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$7.12 ZMW 126

148.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$25.38 ZMW 448

176.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$3.80 ZMW 67.0

259.47%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.01 ZMW 35.50

36.32%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.71 ZMW 12.57

292.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.34 ZMW 5.97

476.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.93 ZMW 16.34

368.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.84 ZMW 32.40

148.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.34 ZMW 23.56

-3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.79 ZMW 13.87

159.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.59 ZMW 28.05

24.53%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.03 ZMW 18.11

229.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$7.77 ZMW 137

139.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$3.93 ZMW 69.4

143.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$4.52 ZMW 79.7

316.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.57 ZMW 45.37

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$0.82 ZMW 14.44

201.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.82 ZMW 49.74

-25.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.17 ZMW 20.58

141.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.90 ZMW 33.46

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.33 ZMW 23.40

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.93 ZMW 16.48

62.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.52 ZMW 9.16

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$2.54 ZMW 44.87

177.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$11.56 ZMW 204

-30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.08 ZMW 19.02

32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.58 ZMW 27.85

44.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$2.70 ZMW 47.62

62.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$9.15 ZMW 161

218.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.19 ZMW 21.06

56.30%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$8,164 ZMW 144.0K

377.39%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$28.9K ZMW 509.5K

13.22%

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

$189 €163

$89.5 ZMW 1,578

111.33%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$52.2 ZMW 920

-56.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$127 ZMW 2,245

-71.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$4.28 ZMW 75.5

152.57%

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

$726 €625

$174 ZMW 3,073

316.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$9,580 ZMW 169.0K

57.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$18.70 ZMW 330

368.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$17.14 ZMW 302

115.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$83.3 ZMW 1,470

24.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$73.4 ZMW 1,294

58.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Kabwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $173 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 270% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $648 including rent). Kabwe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,599 in Barcelona and $972 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 $726 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 $25.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $648 in Kabwe versus $2,399 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 270% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.