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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $642 in Laayoune.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,013 in Laayoune.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,385 in Laayoune.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 265% more expensive than Laayoune, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Laayoune is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.79 MAD 35.08

364.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$29.20 MAD 270

135.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.59 MAD 42.45

199.56%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.59 MAD 14.72

73.58%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.48 MAD 4.44

479.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.31 MAD 2.91

561.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.40 MAD 31.43

35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$4.68 MAD 43.31

-1.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.78 MAD 7.21

64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.60 MAD 5.50

251.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.89 MAD 17.53

4.23%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.37 MAD 12.68

151.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$11.64 MAD 108

61.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.39 MAD 31.38

178.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$9.05 MAD 83.8

110.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.54 MAD 14.28

76.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.19 MAD 10.99

99.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.67 MAD 6.24

210.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.56 MAD 5.20

392.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.47 MAD 4.37

319.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.36 MAD 3.35

397.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.89 MAD 8.25

69.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.55 MAD 5.10

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.50 MAD 32.36

-31.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.56 MAD 5.17

441.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$11.44 MAD 106

148.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.71 MAD 6.54

523.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.69 MAD 6.34

197.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.29 MAD 11.90

46.51%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$38.8K MAD 359.4K

-0.28%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$26.4K MAD 244.5K

22.45%

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

$189 €161

$32.41 MAD 300

481.89%

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

$22.21 €19.01

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$22.36 MAD 207

64.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$22.75 MAD 210

154.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$35.12 MAD 325

-40.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$3.50 MAD 32.35

215.71%

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

$726 €622

$295 MAD 2,728

146.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,407 MAD 31.5K

346.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$34.06 MAD 315

159.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$57.7 MAD 533

-35.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$76.1 MAD 704

34.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$80.0 MAD 740

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$354 MAD 3,270

331.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$171 MAD 1,577

614.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$693 MAD 6,408

303.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$287 MAD 2,657

605.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Laayoune: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $354 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 $320 vs $146 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 265% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $642 including rent). Laayoune is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $354 in Laayoune. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $295 in Laayoune. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $642 in Laayoune versus $2,341 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 265% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.