Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Madaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Madaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $751 in Madaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,351 in Madaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,951 in Madaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than in Madaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Madaba is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$5.67 JOD 4.01

231.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$50.0 JOD 35.41

38.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$6.49 JOD 4.59

116.95%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$3.46 JOD 2.45

-9.83%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.60 JOD 0.43

385.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.56 JOD 0.39

233.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$4.29 JOD 3.04

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$7.00 JOD 4.96

-33.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.37 JOD 0.97

-13.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.66 JOD 0.47

222.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.49 JOD 1.05

23.49%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.72 JOD 1.22

198.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$4.14 JOD 2.93

295.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$5.75 JOD 4.07

68.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$12.68 JOD 8.97

54.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$2.42 JOD 1.71

29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.40 JOD 0.99

55.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.66 JOD 1.18

48.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$0.73 JOD 0.52

279.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.73 JOD 0.52

190.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.74 JOD 0.52

201.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.34 JOD 0.24

338.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.54 JOD 0.38

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$2.11 JOD 1.49

244.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$20.94 JOD 14.83

-60.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$5.27 JOD 3.73

-70.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$5.15 JOD 3.65

-47.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.88 JOD 0.62

248.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$70.0 JOD 49.53

-62.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$0.63 JOD 0.45

430.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.37 JOD 0.97

37.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$6.88 JOD 4.87

408.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.37 JOD 0.97

27.01%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$35.3K JOD 25.0K

3.54%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$35.0K JOD 24.8K

-10.06%

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

$183 €156

$69.4 JOD 49.10

163.66%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$13.91 JOD 9.85

12.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$21.08 JOD 14.92

74.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$27.92 JOD 19.77

91.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$71.8 JOD 50.8

-76.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$11.39 JOD 8.07

1.05%

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

$952 €815

$42.36 JOD 29.99

2148.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$8,858 JOD 6,271

82.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$62.8 JOD 44.43

31.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$55.4 JOD 39.19

-26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$71.5 JOD 50.6

50.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$41.82 JOD 29.61

200.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$215 JOD 152

675.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$42.36 JOD 29.99

2939.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$422 JOD 299

530.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$210 JOD 148

808.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$494 JOD 350

396.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

6.81

-54.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Madaba: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $215 in Madaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 396% 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 $50.0 in Madaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $233 per month, with Madaba 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 Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Madaba differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $751 including rent). Madaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 396% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $215 in Madaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $42.36 in Madaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $751 in Madaba versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madaba but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Madaba 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 Madaba 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 Madaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.