Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and M'Sila

For one person, living is cheaper in M’Sila: $462 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
M'Sila, Algeria
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
M'Sila
🇩🇿 Algeria
$462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in M'Sila

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in M'Sila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $462 in M’Sila.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • M'Sila $462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $760 in M’Sila.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • M'Sila $760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,058 in M’Sila.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • M'Sila $1,058

Living in Barcelona is roughly 432% more expensive than in M’Sila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, M’Sila is 66% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$1.87 DZD 251
840.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$18.79 DZD 2,528
259.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$3.72 DZD 501
263.71%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$0.39 DZD 52.6
717.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.54 DZD 73.2
438.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.21 DZD 27.82
800.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$2.22 DZD 299
80.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$2.30 DZD 309
96.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.85 DZD 114
54.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.13 DZD 17.07
1453.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.12 DZD 150
65.18%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$1.18 DZD 158
309.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$2.96 DZD 399
465.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$4.00 DZD 538
128.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$9.29 DZD 1,250
111.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$2.00 DZD 269
49.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.78 DZD 374
-27.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.07 DZD 145
152.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$0.52 DZD 70.1
438.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.47 DZD 63.2
344.68%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.28 DZD 37.35
639.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.11 DZD 14.56
1227.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.25 DZD 33.40
276.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$2.74 DZD 369
150.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$6.56 DZD 883
20.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.29 DZD 173
9.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.86 DZD 251
36.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.23 DZD 31.48
1265.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$7.35 DZD 989
246.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$0.54 DZD 72.3
453.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.46 DZD 61.9
223.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$5.57 DZD 749
499.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.33 DZD 44.68
445.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$35.2K DZD 4.7M
-5.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$34.0K DZD 4.6M
-6.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$23.53 DZD 3,166
666.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$7.56 DZD 1,018
83.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$12.41 DZD 1,670
171.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$22.19 DZD 2,985
132.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$4.60 DZD 619
138.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$115 DZD 15.4K
699.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$6,272 DZD 843.9K
162.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$32.02 DZD 4,308
171.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$34.07 DZD 4,584
13.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$69.8 DZD 9,391
51.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$80.9 DZD 10.9K
48.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$146 DZD 19.7K
1060.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$90.5 DZD 12.2K
1397.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$272 DZD 36.7K
855.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$195 DZD 26.2K
959.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$981 DZD 132.0K
604.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$615 DZD 82.7K
734.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
M'Sila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$238 DZD 32.1K
827.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5.3
-38.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
M'Sila
$91 93.3% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
M'Sila
$138 57.1% $184
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
M'Sila
$49 81.5% $218
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
M'Sila
$44 80.9% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
M'Sila
$98 38.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
M'Sila
$31 57.3% $42
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
M'Sila
$11 77.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $146 in M’Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 9.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $19 in M’Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $138 per month, with M’Sila cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇩🇿 M'Sila
🕒 Local time
02:27 2:27 AM
02:27 2:27 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
156,647
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona M'Sila 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • M'Sila

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in M’Sila?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $462 in M’Sila, so M’Sila is about 81% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or M’Sila?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 9.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in M’Sila?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $146 in M’Sila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and M’Sila?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $115 in M’Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $462 in M’Sila versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in M’Sila but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes M’Sila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and M’Sila?
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.
Is Barcelona or M’Sila safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and M’Sila are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or M’Sila?
Expats usually find M’Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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