Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and M'Sila Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and M'Sila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $531 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $836 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in M'Sila.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 344% more expensive than in M'Sila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, M'Sila is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$1.91 DZD 253

797.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$19.50 DZD 2,580

249.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$3.90 DZD 516

249.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$0.40 DZD 53.1

595.00%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.56 DZD 73.6

403.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.21 DZD 27.99

833.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.00 DZD 264

121.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.31 DZD 306

99.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.82 DZD 109

54.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.12 DZD 15.32

1675.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.43 DZD 190

39.16%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$1.53 DZD 203

120.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$3.15 DZD 417

501.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$5.30 DZD 702

79.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$9.69 DZD 1,282

93.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.06 DZD 405

-13.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.89 DZD 383

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.73 DZD 229

20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$0.58 DZD 77.0

370.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.53 DZD 69.8

269.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.31 DZD 41.07

483.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.14 DZD 18.97

978.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.28 DZD 36.57

217.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$2.79 DZD 369

143.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$6.81 DZD 901

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.31 DZD 173

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.16 DZD 286

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.25 DZD 33.17

1064.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$17.58 DZD 2,327

63.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.65 DZD 86.7

604.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.34 DZD 44.71

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$5.53 DZD 732

419.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.35 DZD 46.43

420.00%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$35.9K DZD 4.7M

9.62%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

-4.08%

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

$187 €163

$24.32 DZD 3,219

667.39%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$7.98 DZD 1,057

179.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$17.84 DZD 2,361

103.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$23.14 DZD 3,062

148.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$6.01 DZD 796

79.20%

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

$725 €632

$93.4 DZD 12.4K

675.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$3,661 DZD 484.5K

313.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$36.39 DZD 4,816

141.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$45.93 DZD 6,079

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$76.0 DZD 10.1K

36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

55.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$195 DZD 25.8K

681.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$115 DZD 15.2K

965.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$274 DZD 36.3K

894.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$184 DZD 24.4K

975.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$1,113 DZD 147.3K

571.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$637 DZD 84.3K

723.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$248 DZD 32.9K

863.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.42

-37.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $195 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 864% 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 $19.00 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $159 per month, with M'Sila 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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and M'Sila differ by about 344% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $531 including rent). M'Sila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 864% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $195 in M'Sila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $93.4 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $531 in M'Sila versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 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.

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 M'Sila 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 M'Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.