Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Laayoune Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Laayoune

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $627 in Laayoune.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,026 in Laayoune.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,425 in Laayoune.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 273% more expensive than Laayoune, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Laayoune is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.90 MAD 36.11

337.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$29.17 MAD 270

137.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.72 MAD 43.65

191.95%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.61 MAD 14.91

71.43%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.48 MAD 4.48

481.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.32 MAD 2.95

521.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.45 MAD 31.88

26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.57 MAD 42.26

3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.83 MAD 7.72

55.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.59 MAD 5.47

247.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.90 MAD 17.55

4.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.37 MAD 12.64

147.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$11.62 MAD 107

61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.53 MAD 32.66

165.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.12 MAD 84.3

109.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.54 MAD 14.24

75.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.18 MAD 10.91

98.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.71 MAD 6.53

198.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.55 MAD 5.11

418.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.44 MAD 4.10

347.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.36 MAD 3.33

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.95 MAD 8.79

52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.59 MAD 5.48

45.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.45 MAD 31.94

-31.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.59 MAD 5.49

394.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$11.44 MAD 106

150.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.75 MAD 6.96

494.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.70 MAD 6.46

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.24 MAD 11.50

46.77%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$39.0K MAD 360.8K

-0.44%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.9K MAD 249.1K

22.91%

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

$189 €163

$33.13 MAD 307

471.17%

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

$22.80 €19.65

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$22.13 MAD 205

69.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$23.45 MAD 217

146.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$34.92 MAD 323

-40.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.44 MAD 31.86

214.53%

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

$728 €628

$293 MAD 2,709

148.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$3,405 MAD 31.5K

333.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$35.29 MAD 326

151.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$58.5 MAD 541

-36.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.9 MAD 684

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$80.8 MAD 747

43.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$347 MAD 3,207

352.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$172 MAD 1,593

607.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$685 MAD 6,334

308.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$289 MAD 2,677

582.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Laayoune: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $347 in Laayoune. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Laayoune for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $147 per month, with Laayoune 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 Laayoune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Laayoune differ by about 273% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $627 including rent). Laayoune is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $940 in Laayoune 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $347 in Laayoune. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $293 in Laayoune. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $627 in Laayoune versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Laayoune but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Laayoune 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 Laayoune 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 Laayoune gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.