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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,136 in Lusail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,514 in Lusail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,891 in Lusail.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 10% more expensive than Lusail, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Lusail 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.71 QAR 24.44

162.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$56.1 QAR 204

22.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.68 QAR 24.32

105.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.59 QAR 42.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.07 QAR 40.29

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.95 QAR 18.03

-44.24%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.80 QAR 2.90

247.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.33 QAR 1.21

521.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.14 QAR 7.80

-40.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.61 QAR 5.85

31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.36 QAR 4.94

44.85%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.68 QAR 9.74

28.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$11.63 QAR 42.33

61.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.91 QAR 28.79

19.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.52 QAR 38.31

80.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.00 QAR 7.29

36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.64 QAR 5.97

44.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.53 QAR 5.56

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.54 QAR 1.96

411.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.52 QAR 1.91

278.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.56 QAR 2.05

219.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.37 QAR 5.00

10.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.46 QAR 1.66

95.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.76 QAR 35.52

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 QAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 QAR 10.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.48 QAR 23.60

4.32%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.17 QAR 7.89

104.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.20 QAR 8.02

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$13.47 QAR 49.02

117.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.55 QAR 1.98

243.64%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$22.8K QAR 82.9K

70.13%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$20.7K QAR 75.4K

56.29%

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

$189 €161

$91.0 QAR 331

107.29%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$38.13 QAR 139

-41.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$86.7 QAR 315

-57.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$12.13 QAR 44.17

-8.90%

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

$726 €622

$801 QAR 2,917

-9.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$11.8K QAR 42.9K

29.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$61.6 QAR 224

43.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$56.3 QAR 205

-34.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$102 QAR 370

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$91.6 QAR 333

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$2,069 QAR 7,530

-26.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$1,347 QAR 4,903

-9.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$4,731 QAR 17.2K

-40.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$3,359 QAR 12.2K

-39.65%

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

$1,352 QAR 4,922

77.78%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lusail: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $2,069 in Lusail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 78% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Lusail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,136 including rent). Lusail is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 78% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $2,069 in Lusail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $801 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 $56.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,136 in Lusail versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lusail but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lusail 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 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 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.