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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $826 in Madaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,421 in Madaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,015 in Madaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than Madaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Madaba is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.58 JOD 3.95

206.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$49.35 JOD 34.93

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.42 JOD 4.54

114.64%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.50 JOD 2.48

-21.14%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.48 JOD 0.34

481.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.38 JOD 0.27

423.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$4.36 JOD 3.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$6.84 JOD 4.84

-30.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.55 JOD 0.39

272.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.70 JOD 1.20

17.06%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.65 JOD 1.17

105.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$4.35 JOD 3.08

332.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.51 JOD 3.90

69.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$11.37 JOD 8.05

68.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.96 JOD 1.39

37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.42 JOD 1.01

64.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.40 JOD 0.99

51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.74 JOD 0.52

285.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.68 JOD 0.48

189.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.70 JOD 0.49

157.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.34 JOD 0.24

326.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.54 JOD 0.38

59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.16 JOD 1.53

213.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$21.47 JOD 15.19

-63.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$4.72 JOD 3.34

-70.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$5.37 JOD 3.80

-55.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.89 JOD 0.63

228.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$70.6 JOD 49.97

-59.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.74 JOD 0.53

502.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.39 JOD 0.98

47.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.87 JOD 4.86

330.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.36 JOD 0.96

33.82%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.3K JOD 19.3K

42.45%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$31.9K JOD 22.6K

3.68%

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

$189 €163

$71.7 JOD 50.7

163.99%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$13.85 JOD 9.80

64.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$20.81 JOD 14.73

80.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$28.71 JOD 20.32

101.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$69.7 JOD 49.35

-70.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$11.17 JOD 7.91

-3.13%

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

$728 €628

$43.13 JOD 30.53

1588.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,111 JOD 786

1230.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$61.6 JOD 43.59

43.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$49.62 JOD 35.12

-25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$64.1 JOD 45.37

59.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$35.89 JOD 25.41

223.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$175 JOD 124

796.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$125 JOD 88.4

875.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$392 JOD 278

612.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$347 JOD 246

469.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$487 JOD 345

380.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.25

-45.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Madaba: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $175 in Madaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 381% 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 $49.00 in Madaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $224 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 183% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $826 including rent). Madaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 381% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $175 in Madaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $43.13 in Madaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Madaba versus $2,337 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 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.