Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lusail Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lusail

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,116 in Lusail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,556 in Lusail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $4,995 in Lusail.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than Lusail, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Lusail 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$7.00 QAR 25.49

152.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$54.8 QAR 199

27.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$6.73 QAR 24.51

102.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.70 QAR 42.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.05 QAR 40.24

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$4.95 QAR 18.01

-44.65%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.83 QAR 3.03

236.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.31 QAR 1.12

532.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.14 QAR 7.79

-39.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.62 QAR 5.89

26.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.40 QAR 5.11

41.43%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.55 QAR 9.30

32.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$11.36 QAR 41.36

64.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$7.94 QAR 28.91

20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$10.49 QAR 38.20

79.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.00 QAR 7.28

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.62 QAR 5.91

52.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.58 QAR 5.75

32.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$0.57 QAR 2.09

394.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.56 QAR 2.04

260.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.53 QAR 1.95

249.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.37 QAR 5.00

10.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.48 QAR 1.75

87.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.48 QAR 34.49

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 QAR 10.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$6.25 QAR 22.74

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

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

$2.25 QAR 8.20

94.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.13 QAR 7.75

0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$13.96 QAR 50.8

108.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.55 QAR 2.01

238.18%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.0K QAR 83.7K

69.58%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.6K QAR 74.9K

58.94%

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

$189 €163

$91.6 QAR 333

106.49%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$37.01 QAR 135

-38.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$88.8 QAR 323

-58.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$12.13 QAR 44.16

-10.88%

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

$726 €625

$787 QAR 2,866

-7.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$11.6K QAR 42.3K

30.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$61.2 QAR 223

43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$54.7 QAR 199

-32.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$102 QAR 370

1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$91.7 QAR 334

26.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$2,099 QAR 7,641

-25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,393 QAR 5,071

-12.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$4,581 QAR 16.7K

-40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$3,280 QAR 11.9K

-40.05%

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

$1,369 QAR 4,982

73.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.08

-44.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lusail: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $2,099 in Lusail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 74% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $55.0 in Lusail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $202 per month, with Lusail 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 Lusail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lusail differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,116 including rent). Lusail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 74% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $2,099 in Lusail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $787 in Lusail. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lusail – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lusail is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Lusail 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 Lusail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.