Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lubumbashi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lubumbashi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,117 in Lubumbashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,556 in Lubumbashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,995 in Lubumbashi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than Lubumbashi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Lubumbashi is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.46 CDF 28.3K

41.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$98.3 CDF 223.2K

-30.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

41.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.98 CDF 9,031

-30.15%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.97 CDF 2,209

188.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.77 CDF 4,012

151.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.47 CDF 5,600

86.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.01 CDF 4,570

-38.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.15 CDF 2,618

76.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.92 CDF 6,628

-34.25%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.63 CDF 5,972

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$15.22 CDF 34.5K

21.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.35 CDF 16.7K

29.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$15.54 CDF 35.3K

23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.01 CDF 4,573

31.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.95 CDF 6,687

-16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$5.11 CDF 11.6K

-58.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.94 CDF 6,677

-3.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.46 CDF 5,581

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.95 CDF 4,431

-5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.99 CDF 2,244

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.27 CDF 2,881

-33.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.03 CDF 9,146

77.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$12.68 CDF 28.8K

-37.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.20 CDF 2,730

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.08 CDF 4,724

11.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.98 CDF 2,233

204.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$4.46 CDF 10.1K

3.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$9.82 CDF 22.3K

197.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.36 CDF 3,084

35.29%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.7K CDF 56.1M

57.91%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$29.5K CDF 66.9M

10.98%

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

$188 €162

$98.9 CDF 224.5K

89.91%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$20.35 CDF 46.2K

12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$59.4 CDF 134.8K

-38.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$72.2 CDF 164.0K

-20.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

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

$721 €620

$132 CDF 299.9K

445.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,465 CDF 10.1M

236.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$22.38 CDF 50.8K

285.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$22.32 CDF 50.7K

66.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$60.5 CDF 137.3K

68.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$84.3 CDF 191.4K

37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$764 CDF 1.7M

100.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$249 CDF 565.0K

390.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,858 CDF 6.5M

-5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,813 CDF 4.1M

11.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$988 CDF 2.2M

630.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$502 CDF 1.1M

933.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,068 CDF 2.4M

120.82%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $764 in Lubumbashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 121% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $98.0 in Lubumbashi. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $312, with Lubumbashi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lubumbashi differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,117 including rent). Lubumbashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 121% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $764 in Lubumbashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $132 in Lubumbashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lubumbashi – a meal for two runs $98.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,117 in Lubumbashi versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lubumbashi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.