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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $641 in Laayoune.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Laayoune.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,384 in Laayoune.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 268% more expensive than in Laayoune, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Laayoune is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.97 MAD 37.05

331.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$29.09 MAD 271

133.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.74 MAD 44.18

187.76%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.61 MAD 15.00

72.67%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.52 MAD 4.83

442.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.35 MAD 3.22

460.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$3.40 MAD 31.69

30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.74 MAD 44.22

-2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.78 MAD 7.27

62.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.56 MAD 5.26

280.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.86 MAD 17.37

6.99%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.41 MAD 13.16

139.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.47 MAD 107

65.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.43 MAD 31.95

177.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.15 MAD 85.3

104.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.51 MAD 14.11

75.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.13 MAD 10.54

107.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.67 MAD 6.25

211.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.56 MAD 5.21

387.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.48 MAD 4.48

308.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.34 MAD 3.13

432.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.91 MAD 8.48

65.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.57 MAD 5.28

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.39 MAD 31.57

-29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.60 MAD 5.61

385.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$11.64 MAD 109

146.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.73 MAD 6.77

527.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.66 MAD 6.11

209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.23 MAD 11.45

47.97%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$38.8K MAD 361.9K

1.30%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$26.7K MAD 249.2K

21.51%

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

$187 €162

$32.21 MAD 300

479.42%

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

$22.29 €19.30

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$22.47 MAD 210

61.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$22.78 MAD 212

152.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$34.05 MAD 317

-39.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$3.40 MAD 31.67

216.76%

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

$725 €628

$286 MAD 2,667

153.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,476 MAD 32.4K

335.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$34.07 MAD 318

157.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$57.9 MAD 540

-36.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$75.3 MAD 702

37.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$82.6 MAD 770

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$349 MAD 3,255

336.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$176 MAD 1,643

596.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$685 MAD 6,385

298.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$293 MAD 2,734

576.65%

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

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Laayoune: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $349 in Laayoune. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Laayoune for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $145 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 268% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $641 including rent). Laayoune 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 $962 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $349 in Laayoune. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $286 in Laayoune. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $641 in Laayoune versus $2,359 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 268% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.